Uzumaki Naruto the Taijutsu Master
by HypnoLullaby
Summary: Ever wondered what would happen if Naruto managed to unlock the Eight Gates and learned all of his clan's and father's jutsu? This story's for you. Naruto can't perform advanced elemental jutsu, that's a fact. What if he was actually smart and used other shinobi traits? All of that in this fiction.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Meet Uzumaki Naruto

Meet Uzumaki Naruto. Legendary prankster, known loser and class clown. This young boy's story begins with...wait, what do you mean wrong scrip? Shit! Ok wait a second. *shuffles through drawer before removing another script * Ok, here we go. Bastards probably put something in my coffee, trying to put me out of business, but I tell you, old Bill doesn't go down that easily! William Lawson's mother didn't raise no fool, I'll... ok ok, I'll read the damn story. Just trying to get some comedy in here. Young people these days, no patience at all. Ahem.

Meet Uzumaki Naruto. An extremely determined Academy student who is known for being extremely unpredictable, to the point of insanity. He is not a known giver of ...fucks? What the hell is this? I thought this was a story for children! *shotgun cocking sound * Gulp, ok, I'll read the story. I'd also like to remind the listeners that I am narrating this story on my own free will and OH GOD, PLEASE DON'T HURT MY FAMILY! * shotgun shots and silence*.

"Go get the next subject."

*****Insert Naruto's First Intro " Rocks" Here *

"NARUTO! COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"- Iruka shouted at the blonde-haired boy as he walked his way to the classroom's door. The whole class was laughing as if they had heard the best joke in the history of mankind. Naruto's hand stopped inches away from the door knob before turning around.

"What is it, Iruka-sensei?"- he had just failed the Bunshin exam again. Third time and counting. He was days away from failing to graduate the Academy. He would be the first student in history to do so.

"Come back here and perform the Bunshin jutsu! If you can't perform this simple jutsu, how do you think you'll become a great ninja? Huh?"- the Chuunin replied. The class laughed even harder. Naruto's head was low, his face hidden by shadow. A student from the Academy, Kiba Inuzuka stood up and pointed at the Jinchuuriki.

"Great ninja? HAH! THAT GUY WILL NEVER BECOME A NINJA WHATSOEVER!"- everyone laughed at this, tears falling to the ground from Naruto's eyes.- "See? He's crying for Kami's sake! He can't use ninjutsu nor genjutsu, his taijutsu skills suck, how can he ever become a ninja?"

"Shut up."- everyone stopped laughing. Kiba had a smirk on his face, looking at the kid that he thought was a failure.

"What was that, dobe?"- another voice was heard. It came from Sasuke Uchiha, considered a genius by everyone in the village. He and Naruto were like Day and Night. They couldn't be more different.

"I said shut up. You people make fun of me and mistreat me all you want. Hell, you have ever since I was born. It is true that I can't use Ninjutsu. It is true that I can't use Genjutsu. But Kami watch me, I will become the best Taijutsu fighter you idiots have ever seen!"- and with that, he opened the door, walked out, and slammed it shut.

"What a jackass, I give him two days before he gives up. No ninja can truly become a ninja using only taijutsu."- Kiba commented. Everyone nodded and laughed. Naruto, the idiot that couldn't create Bunshin, perform Henge or even throw Kunai at the desired spot, becoming a ninja? Yeah, right.

"Whatever, next one in the Bunshin exam, Uchiha Sasuke."- Iruka proceeded.

Meanwhile

"Hiruzen, are you sure that he should still be allowed in the Academy? His skills are miserable! He would be more useful to the village if he became a damn fisher!"- Homura Mitokado asked, shocked at how the Third Hokage still believed in Uzumaki Naruto's ability to become a ninja even after every lowsy report they had received from Iruka and the other Academy teachers. Naruto's grades were so low that they had to create a brand new classification for them. Sarutobi smiled and took a puff out of his pipe.

"You two do not know the first thing about Naruto. I've known the boy ever since he was born. When he gets his mind onto something, he just doesn't let it go. If he decided that clouds would now rain chocolate instead of water, I wouldn't be surprised to see the village covered in brown the next day."- he was sitting on a room with the two elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. They used to be in his team, and were his comrades, but now the only time they spent together was deciding the village's fate. Even then, they weren't much help since they tried to do things so that they had more power than the Hokage. And that would not happen.

"Hiruzen, this isn't the time for jokes. That kid has something really dangerous inside him, and the less he knows about it, the better. If he follows a ninja life, even though I have no idea how he could, he will eventually find out more about himself and in worse case scenario, the kyuubi can manifest itself."- Koharu replied. This didn't please the Third as he quickly stood up, banged his fist on the table and pointed at her.

"NO! You listen to me, I will not deprive that boy from his biggest wish. He has already lost his childhood, he has been hated, despised and Kami knows what more. If becoming a shinobi is all he really wants, then damn it, I will let him become one!"- this silenced the two elders. Naruto's sad life was no secret, but no one really cared.- "That kid should be treated like a hero for he is the one keeping us from dying a horribly painful death, and what does he get? He gets beaten up, insulted, despised and mocked. Yes, I know what the villagers do to him, don't think you can hide it from me. So I'll let him have at least this!"

"..."- the room was silent for a bit before a knock was heard on the door. Sarutobi facepalmed, the drama was completely ruined.

"Come in."- and in came Iruka, a frustrated look on his face. As soon as he saw the Chuunin's expression, Hokage knew what he had come for.- "What has Naruto done that made you frustrated, Iruka?"

"Hokage-sama, Naruto failed the Bunshin exam for the third time today. After he did, he left the classroom, making a promise of becoming a great ninja using just taijutsu since he can't use genjutsu or ninjutsu."- the Chuunin complained as if he was getting too old for this shit. Things like that didn't work with the Hokage though.

"I guess we'll have another Might Guy then."- the Hokage responded with the most trollish face ever. Koharu and Homura weren't phased with those actions, but Iruka was shocked that someone so childish could have become Hokage. Iruka shook his head and let out a frustrated gasp. What could he do to get his point through?

"Please, Hokage-sama. I don't know how I am supposed to pass this boy if he can't perform the simplest of jutsus!"- Iruka was exasperated. He liked Naruto. Just like Iruka used to do, Naruto tried to get all of the attention he could even if it was through doing stupid things and never giving up on a challenge, and thus, he wanted to pass the kid. But he couldn't completely ignore the Academy's system for Kami's sake! The Hokage stood up and walked to the window, taking puffs out of his pipe. After a moment or two of thinking, he smiled.

"I've got an idea. The Academy's ultimate exam is in a week's time, right?"- the old man asked. Iruka was surprised and confused, scratching his head.

"Yes Hokage-sama, but I don't know what that has to do with this problem besides Naruto's failure if he does not master every Academy jutsu in a week, and for someone like him, that's impossible."- the Chuunin replied. The Hokage smirked.

"Let's change the rules a bit. Naruto is clearly uncapable of ninjutsu or genjutsu, but so is Gai. And Gai's one of my top jounin. Let's do it this way, in the exam day, you make Naruto fight the student who has passed with the best grades. Said student is allowed to use any ninjutsu, genjutsu or taijutsu, in order to make it a real fight. If Naruto wins this fight, he passes and becomes a Konoha genin. If he doesn't, he fails and has to go through the Academy again."- this idea surprised both Iruka and the elders. It was unorthodox for the rules of passing of the Academy to be changed, but this Hokage was everything but orthodox. After a bit of consideration, Iruka shrugged and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Ok Hokage-sama, though I have the odd impression that Naruto will not win this fight anyway. My top student for now is Uchiha Sasuke, and he is a prodigy. No matter what work Naruto goes through, he won't be able to win."- the Hokage laughed hard at Iruka's response, making the Chuunin unconfortable and confused.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again. If that kid wished for the sun to turn dark, I would not be impressed with the endless night sooner or later."- he said as he pointed outside. The elders remained on their seats, but the Chuunin came to join the old shinobi. Almost out of their field of vision was Naruto, punching and kicking a big, standing circular log that was three meters tall and had a two meter radius. The boy kept attacking the log and dodging inumerous imaginary attacks, sometimes taking out his kunai to slash across his training dummy. The Hokage smiled again before walking away.

Five hours later, by the end of the day, he returned to the window. Just out of curiosity, he glanced at Naruto's training spot before leaving his office. The blonde-haired boy was still going at it with the same strength and determination as before. Though Naruto seemed roughed up, the log itself was caved in in several spots. The boy seemed to have started developing a whole new taijutsu style which involved moving on all-fours and a whole lot of acrobatic kicks and punches. The Hokage whistled before walking away again.

Meanwhile, in Naruto's training spot.

"I will not bow, I will not bow, I will not bow, I will not bow, I will not bow, I will not bow..."- this mantra continued and went on for hours as the boy kept attacking the wooden opponent. His hands were hurting so much that he couldn't tell if they were just bruised or broken and his legs were almost failing on him. But every time he repeated his prayer, strength came to him. Enough strength to allow him to raise his foot again, and enough strength to make the log regret the day it came into existence with punches.- "I will not bow, I will not bow, I will not bow, I will not bow..."

"..."- a few meters behind him, hiding in the middle of the trees was a small girl, wearing a cream-coloured hooded jacket and navy blue pants, with eyes as white as milk and dark blue hair. She was eyeing the blonde-haired boy. She was in the middle of a walk when she heard the sounds of his constant mantra and hitting and decided to investigate. It had been hours since he started, and he just didn't quit! Approaching her from behind and placing a hand on her shoulder was a boy with the same eyes she had and long brown hair. He wore a cream-coloured shirt and bandages around the arms. He also wore dark shorts and bandages on his right leg.

"Hinata-sama, why are you here looking at that failure?"- he asked, taking a look at the boy who seemed completely unaware of their presence. Hinata shrugged.

"He seems like he is fighting something. Not the log, but something else. Like his fate. Can people change their fate, Neji-niisan?"- she asked, looking back at her relative. She liked him even though he mistreated her every chance he got. His expression turned into an infuriated one as if she had offended him in the worse way possible.

"Of course not, Hinata-sama. Everyone is born with a destiny. That destiny is written down and is not changeable. Everyone is stuck with it, and no matter how much they practice or train, they will never ever be able to run away from it. A genius is always a genius and a loser is always a loser. I know that boy from the Academy. He is a loser and even though I have to give him some props for trying this hard, he can't change his future."- the boy replied, rage emanating from him. Hinata knew that it was best not to anger Neji. Even though he wouldn't phisically harm her, he could do so psychologically. She could use the Bird Cage Seal to restrain him, but she wouldn't. She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She wanted to unite her family and not disperse it more. So she simply nodded.

"Ok Neji nii-san, let's go."- he turned around and started walking. She did the same, but stopped after a few steps to take another look at the blonde-haired boy who kept going at it with all his willpower. She wondered if Neji could be wrong. What if someone could actually change their fate? It would be great if they could. She was about to walk away before the boy's mantra suddenly changed.

"I will change my fate, I will change my fate, I will change my fate, I will change my fate, I will change my fate."- he declared to the world as if nothing could stop him, not even God. In that moment, Hinata felt like he was right and that she should follow him and change her fate as well. But then, Neji snapped his fingers, waking her from her trance, and they both walked home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Boy Who Challenged God

Sixth day of training. To the ones who knew about it, Naruto's taijutsu training seemed to be going as well as the first day of it. He looked strong and determined. The log was so caved in in the sides that it seemed like a lumberjack decided to cut it down but stopped before finishing the job.

To Naruto, however, his new training regime deeply depressed him. Every day his legs hurt more and he couldn't feel his fists anymore though he could move them. Even though he barely slept through those six days, putting all of his time on his practice, he didn't see any changes or improvements. He hoped he could be stronger and faster, but he wasn't! After 16 daily hours of pushups, situps, squats, punches, kicks, runs and a whole lot of other exercises throughout those six days he had gotten nothing as a , a week isn't long, but the exam was tomorrow for Kami's sake! How was he supposed to defeat the Uchiha like this?

"Resting already, Naruto?"- a voice was heard. The blond jinchuuriki turned around to see Gai, Konoha's taijutsu specialist jounin. If Naruto wanted to become a ninja using taijutsu as his only weapon, he had to take a page from Gai's book. He just shrugged and bowed his head in frustration before replying.

"I've been practicing has hard as I can, Gai-sensei. I know that I can't get much out of a week's training, no matter how hard it is, but I haven't got a thing at all from it! I will never be able to defeat the Uchiha boy like this..."- Naruto answered, hiding his face with his hands in frustration. Gai had an understanding smile on his and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Stop training."- the green spandex suit wearing Green Beast said. Naruto didn't get it. Stop the training? Was he insane? If his skills didn't improve after a week's worth of training, how could they improve from doing nothing?

"I'm not sure I understand Gai-sensei. If training has done nothing for me, how will doing nothing do anything for me?"- Naruto scratched his head. Gai laughed before pointing at the log, further confusing the young student.

"It did do something for you! You beat your opponent! That wooden log! Now, it's time to rest! If you haven't found the way to beat your next opponent and yet you are training all you can, then that is the problem! Taijutsu users first learn that the answer isn't always in training. Sometimes, the answer comes naturally. Here's what I want you to do, go around the village, take a walk and look at things. Not just glance at them, look at them and understand what they are. And then, the answer will come."- Naruto was really close to saying "Ultra Gay" when Gai's speech ended. He thought about it and decided that it was worth a try, since there was nothing else he could really do.

And that is the story of why he was randomly walking through every street that the village had. It felt relaxing, but he still had no answer. He didn't really get what the jounin had meant. Was it a riddle for a treasure hunt? Was it a message in a bottle? Was it just a way to get the kid away from his wooden dummy? _Who knows..._

He was now walking through the forest, ready to give up on his quest when he heard strange sounds. He could hear heavy breathing and wood being struck. He knew so because after his training, the sounds of heavy breathing and wood being struck were forever implemented in his brain. He approached, hiding behind a tree to see what was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A dark-haired girl that had milk white eyes and wore a cream-coloured hooded jacket and navy blue ninja pants.

Flashback

*Insert Naruto OST: Childhood Memories *

It was a sunny summer day, one of the most beautiful days young Naruto had ever seen. He was holding his mother, Kushina,'s hand. Her long red hair dancing with the wind while she smiled at him.

"Naruto-chan, want to get some ramen?"- she asked while they walked. He quickly jumped in excitement.

"Ramen, Ramen, Ramen!"- that had been his first word, and not surprisingly, three year old Naruto's favorite word. As they walked through the park, they passed another mother and child. The child had short dark blue hair and was wearing a small blue jacket and blue pants. The mother was wearing a blue kimono. Her hair was also dark blue but it was long. Both of their eyes were milk white.

"Hello Hikari-san! This must be little Hinata!"- Kushina greeted, crouching to look at the Hyuuga child.

"Hello Kushina! That must be young Naruto!"- the Hyuuga matriarch bowed her head to look better at the spiky blond haired boy who couldn't stop looking at Hinata. Hinata was hiding behind her mother's leg, but still looking at the Uzumaki boy.

"They should go on a playdate some day!"- the kyuubi's jinchuuriki suggested, standing up and letting her red hair float around. Hikari nodded.

"Of course! Is thursday ok for you?"- she asked. Kushina quickly nodded while Naruto pulled her arm to get her attention.

"Yes, see you then! Naruto can't wait for his ramen apparently. Goodbye!"- she replied, smiling again at the young girl.

"Goodbye!"- Hikari replied as Kushina and Naruto walked away. When they were at a safe distance, Naruto pulled her arm again.

"Mommy, that's not what I wanted to say. I wanted to say that she's pretty!"- the young Uzumaki whispered into her ear. She laughed.

"Yes, she is! You'll see her thursday! Now, let's get us some ramen!"- she gave him her determined stance as if eating a bowl of ramen was a really dangerous quest that needed all of their attention and willpower to be completed.

"Ramen! Ramen!Ramen!"

End Flashback

She was striking the wood with attacks that he had never seen before. She used her palms and the points of her fingers to strike the log in the same precise spots again and again. The chakra that she put into each of those strikes was visible and she looked like she was at it for hours. To release so much chakra for such a long time was insane! She finished the log off with a palm strike, shattering it apart.

"I will change my fate!"- she shouted, turning around to face another log. A total of four logs remained, all surrounding her. She kept striking at the logs before she suddenly stopped and looked at the tree that Naruto was hiding behind. A normal person wouldn't be able to see him since he only had his eyes poking out but her own eyes had the veigns around them more defined and made Naruto feel like she could see him. When she realized who he was, she immediately blushed.- "H-Hello?"

"..."- she received no response as Naruto quickly ran away without even thinking. Maybe it was out of shyness, maybe it was out of a reflex that he developed after every villager made him run away after detecting him when he was younger or maybe it was just because he didn't want to be shattered apart like the log.

He ran and ran, not hearing her cries of "wait". He kept glancing behind to make sure she wasn't following him. This was a double-edged blade though as he tripped on a tree root that conviniently stood out of the ground.

"Kiba! You have to mix more chakra with your taijutsu!"- he heard a womanly voice proclaim. He quickly approached, hiding behind the trees. Kiba was laying flat on the ground as if he had been hit, and by his side was Akamaru. In front of him was a tall woman that looked a lot like him. Probably his mother. She had a black wolf by the side of her.- "Giju Ninpo requires you to concentrate all of your chakra on your body muscles. Not just a bit of it!"

"But I don't have a lot of chakra! Why do I need Giju Ninpo anyway"- he replied, standing up. His mother clapped her palms together.

"Giju Ninpo: Shikyaku no jutsu!"- after this, she got on all fours and disappeared before appearing in front of him and kicking him away.- "You need it for that! This technique enhances your speed, strength and instincts! You should be training more instead of walking Akamaru!"

"Instincts?"- Naruto muttered. That meant that they could find him out any second then. He quickly ran away, heading back to his training log. _To use chakra in order to enhance my attacks and speed __while mimicking animals. That's my answer! I've been told I had a ton of chakra before, but never had any use for it! I know how to defeat Sasuke!_

And with that, he trained as hard as he could, stopping to eat at Ichiraku's before training again. He didn't sleep much, but he didn't care. He had his answer and his shinobi life was closer than ever. All he had to do was give it everything he had. After he decided to stop and go sleep, he took a quick detour from his house, heading to Mikoto's Bazaar, Konoha's clothes shop. Mikoto was Sasuke Uchiha's mother. After the Uchiha massacre, her sanity was gravely affected, and she couldn't do much. But she could still make clothes. It was as if God decided that one of the only things he should not touch was her skill with clothing, as if it was all a big joke that only a Divine could understand. Mikoto was pretty silly to most people since she acted like a child, but she was very loving and caring. Another thing that God didn't touch was her love for children. She was one of the four people that Naruto could safely say he would die to protect. She never judged him and baked him cookies whenever he came to visit her. She was also the one who created his orange clothes. And clothes were the reason why he was going to visit her that night.

He quickly knocked on the shop's door, waiting a few moments before a tall, thin woman opened it. She had dark blue long hair and black eyes. She was really pretty and had this really childish smile on her face.

"Naru-chan, I wasn't expecting you! Sa-chan is already in bed!"- she said, hugging him, making him suffocate on her more than big breasts. After she let him go and let him gasp for air for a few moments, he smiled again.

"Mikoto-chan, I have a favor to ask you."- he replied as she quickly pulled him into the store/house.- "Remember the jacket you made for me?"

"Which jacket, Naru-chan? I don't think I remember!"- she quickly answered in a very childish voice while standing with a meditating expression. Naruto facepalmed.

"The one I am wearing right now."- he said, pointing at the orange jacket as her face's expression turned into one of understanding.- "I want you to make a few changes, ok?"

It was not until two hours later that he managed to walk out of the house since she had the habit of quickly changing subject and showing him every piece of clothing or drawing she had made. She was a great artist, both in fashion and drawing though what came out was usually really eccentric and thus, her shop didn't have much income. Not like she needed any, the Uchiha had a pretty ample fortune. It made Naruto both happy and sad to visit her. Happy because she treated him nice, like he was a person and not some monster. Sad because she used to be one of the most serious people in the village and the best kenjutsu fighter in the whole country. To see someone so talented becoming a little child was...depressing.

He walked out with his arms shaped into a basket, carrying a bunch of cookies that she had made for him. She had told him to come by the next day to pick up his jacket, and so, he went home wearing his orange ninja pants andhis black shirt. His famous goggles always in place of course.

"Sasuke is going to be sooo screwed!"

The following day

"Beep,Beep,Beep,Beep!"- the alarm cried out, waking up the sleeping Naruto. Waking up meaning making him jump so high that his head hit the ceiling before he fell to the ground. He quickly stood up, looking at the devilish device that "greeted" him every morning.

"Nine am? Crap, I'm gonna be late!"- if the alarm clock had the ability to feel emotions and demonstrate them, it would be laughing its circuits off as the blonde ten year old turned into a little hurricane, clothes flying off and on to it. Naruto was again wearing his black shirt, baggy orange pants and blue sandals, and only realized it after looking at the mirror.- "That's right, I have to go to Mikoto-chan's before the fight!"

The door slammed after Naruto ran out of the house and threw it back, focused on getting to his destination as quickly as possible. The fight was at nine and a half in the morning and it was already a quarter past nine when he arrived at Mikoto's Shenanigans, Mikoto's shop. He banged on the door until his opponent's mother opened it, smiling. He didn't have the time to say "Ah" before being crushed against her twins. It wasn't until two minutes later that Mikoto released him from the death grip. _If I ever get drowned by an opponent and survive it, I have to thank Mikoto for the training she gave me._

"Na-chan, Sa-chan has already left for your fight today!"- she said, using her trademark childish voice. Naruto smiled.

"I know, but I came to see if you had my clothes ready!"- he replied. She shrieked in excitement and ran inside the store, coming back a minute later with a new jacket and a pair of black fingerless gloves. The jacket's design was pretty much the same except though now it was black and had a couple of metal hooks for holding weapons in the back and a white crow also on the back. Naruto quickly put them on before looking at the store's window and smiling at himself.- "Thank you Mikoto-chan, I look so cool! I gotta go, but I'll pay you later!"

"Awh, Na-chan, don't go!"- but he was already gone. The excited Uzumaki looked like a little whirlwind to the villagers as he practically flew past the streets, determined to make it on time. But as they say, hurry is the enemy of perfection (portuguese saying, so it might not make much sense to you...) He collided against someone and fell back. Standing in front of him was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Naruto, aren't you late for your battle with Uchiha Sasuke?"- the old shinobi asked with an eyebrow raised. Naruto quickly got up.

"I'm going there right now, Hokage-gee."- the blonde-haired jinchuuriki replied before darting away. Sarutobi smiled and took something from under his cloak.

"Wait, take this! It might be useful!"- Naruto turned around to see the old man throw a closed Fuma Shuriken at him. Naruto grabbed it and quickly attached it to the hooks on his back, smiling.- "I heard that you are good with chakra control even though you can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. If you need it, run your chakra through that shuriken!"

"Thank you, gee-san!"- and he ran off, more confident than ever on his ability of defeating natural talent with hard work. The Hokage's smile quickly turned into a laugh. One of the ANBU that were assigned to be the Hokage's bodyguards was confused.

"Hokage-sama, may I ask why you are laughing?"- he asked behind the bird mask. The Hokage turned to him, smiling.

"It's good to see that my successor is going to triumph."- this answer confused the ANBU even more, but before he could ask, the Hokage was already walking away.

The Big Fight

"Why are you late, dobe?"- Sasuke asked as the blonde-haired guy arrived in front of the Academy. The whole school's students were gathered to see Naruto getting beaten up mercilessly. But the jinchuuriki was determined to shock them.

"Sorry, had to go see your mom."- the students gasped and Iruka was shocked with his rude response. Sasuke got angry, but quickly controlled himself.

"What did you say you stupid excuse for a person?"- the raven-haired boy shot back. Naruto laughed before turning around and showing the white raven on his back, the black theme of his jacket and the black fingerless gloves.

"Went to get my new clothes. You all keep thinking I say rude things, but I mostly don't. Anyway, ready to get your ass kicked, Sasugay?"- Sasuke snarled before outright laughing like an insane person and pointing at Naruto.

"Do you really think you can defeat me? Look at you. You can't use any ninjutsu or genjutsu, how do you expect to become a ninja like that? Right now, you are a little boy, and I am God. That's how large the difference of our strengths is."- Naruto laughed at this, gave Sasuke a thumbs up, then gestured with his thumb as if slicing his own throat, before performing a thumbs down.

"Then I guess I am the boy who challenged God."- Iruka sighed and quickly stepped between them to straight out the rules.

"Before the fight starts, let me establish the rules. The fight ends when one of you is unconscious, incapable of fighting or if I call the match off. Anything is allowed. Do you both agree to these rules?"- the Chuunin gestured as he spoke. Sasuke nodded and Naruto laughed. This was it, the time to prove that he was ninja material.

"Start it already, Iruka sensei! I want to punch this guy's face in!"- with this, Iruka lowered his hand, starting the match. Sasuke wasted no time and ran up to Naruto, trying to punch him square in the face, but the latter swayed behind at an impossible angle, placed his hands on the ground and catapulted the Uchiha behind him with his legs. Sasuke went flying against a wall, but didn't hurt himself as he placed his feet on the wall itself and kicked off, ready to deliver a painful tornado kick into Naruto's head. The jinchuuriki wasn't stupid and simply dodged it before throwing a tornado kick of his own.

The two continued measuring each other with these hits, dodges and blocks. Sasuke was surprised. No one could defeat him in taijutsu battles, but the dobe that sucked so much at taijutsu was fighting him on an even level. Naruto was just delighted at how every attempt of attacking that Sasuke was making went wrong. Sakura approached the teacher.

"Iruka sensei, even though Naruto is managing, he could never defeat someone from a clan as powerful as the Uchiha, could he?"- she asked. She always was a curious one, and even though she was confident that the love of her life would beat the living crap out of that annoying brat, she wanted to seem like a good student. Iruka scowled.

"Everyone thinks that, but they know nothing of Naruto. The Uzumaki clan's members are as strong as the Uchiha's. Or at least were. Like the Uchiha, the Uzumaki were destroyed and only one or two members are alive. Though Naruto is the only known live member, I believe there are more. Anyway, if you need an example, take the Fourth Hokage's example. He married Kushina Uzumaki, and she taught him a bunch of techniques from her clan. He became one of the most powerful ninja ever. Maybe even more powerful than the current Hokage. Now imagine what an actual Uzumaki could do."- he replied, trying to stay as inpartial as he could. Sakura was deeply angered by his reply. Naruto could be as strong as Sasuke? No way.

"KATON: GOUKAKYU NO JUTSU!"- they heard and immediately turned their heads. Sasuke had spat a gigantic ball of fire at the blonde jinchuuriki. Naruto jumped to the side, but Sasuke was already running through handseals again.- "Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"

"SASUKE-KUN IS SO AWESOME! SHANNARO!"- Sakura cheered as Sasuke spat three little fire flares. Naruto managed to dodge one and jump over the second, but the third hit him square in the chest, blasting him a few meters away.

"Gah!"- he gasped as he rolled behind several times and fell. He tried to get to his feet, but he couldn't, and the best he managed was getting on his knees. Sasuke smiled and walked slowly towards him.

"This is the difference between the both of us. You might have gotten better at taijutsu now, but you're still not shinobi material. A shinobi requires skill in either ninjutsu or genjutsu. Period."- Naruto managed to stand, his arms simply hanging and his head bowed.- "What, you still think you have a chance? JUST GIVE UP!"

A wack sound was heard as Sasuke ran and tried to punch Naruto in the face again. Most people closed their eyes, not wanting to see the inevitable, but opened them after not hearing someone tumbling across the ground.

*Insert "Disturbed- Stupify" or "Need to be Strong- Naruto OST" here *

"Huh?"- Sasuke muttered. His fist was being gripped by Naruto's right hand. Naruto had stopped the blow effortlessly, what the hell was going on? Steam could be seen coming out of Naruto's body and waving up. After a moment, Naruto rose his head to look at Sasuke in the eyes. His chakra became visible, forming a blue aura around his body.

"NEVER!"- Naruto spun and used a judo throw on Sasuke, making him fly away and hit the wall, but this time, for real. Sasuke coughed a bit of blood as the wall cracked. Naruto pulled his jacket's sleeves up, uncovering weights. He took them off before taking other ones that were placed on his legs. He got on all fours and nearly disappeared. He became so fast that he was in front of Sasuke in a second, punching his gut and kicking him up a bit. Sasuke tried to block the blows, but they still hurt. Who the hell was this guy? The Uchiha decided that he had to end the battle quickly, or he'd be at a disadvantage. He kicked off of the ground, jumping up and throwing shuriken at the blonde. Naruto dodged most of them, blocking the rest with his kunai which he also threw at Sasuke, who managed to deflect it with a kunai of his own. This was a mere distraction, as when Sasuke looked at Naruto again, the jinchuuriki had his right arm outstretched, the closed shuriken opening.- "Fuma Shuriken: KAGE FUUSHA!"

"IRUKA SENSEI, STOP HIM!"- Sakura shrieked as Naruto spun and launched the Shuriken which went spinning like a buzzsaw directly at Sasuke who was still falling. There was no way that it could be avoided, and so, Sasuke was cut in half before dispelling into a smoke cloud. The cloud dissipated after a moment, allowing them to see a log that was perfectly cut in half. Ino, another fangirl, jumped in excitement.

"I KNEW IT, SASUKE-KUN CAN'T BE STOPPED BY SOME LOSER! GO SASUKE! GO SASUKE!"- she yelled. Sasuke appeared behind Naruto and tried to stab him with a kunai, but as soon as the kunai was about to hit, Naruto turned around and blocked it with another kunai, took hold of the back of Sasuke's neck, placed a leg against his stomach and rolled back, catapulting him again.

"You're going to have to do a whole lot better than that, dobe."- Sasuke smirked. Naruto laughed and rose his right hand. It was sparkling with electricity.

"Do you like chess, Sasuke? Because I think it is check mate."- a sound of something heavy rotating through the air and electricity became noticeable as the Fuma Shuriken acted as a boomerang and was currently en route to bisect Sasuke.

"Crap!"- he jumped up, avoiding the death machine, but Naruto's play wasn't over. The Shuriken separated into four and one of the blades went flying against Sasuke who managed to dodge it with a backflip. Though now, he was falling, and he had nothing that was able to change his fall. Naruto clapped his hands together, chakra evaporating from his limbs. He got on all fours and quickly galloped over where Sasuke was going to fall. _Shit, my chakra is completely depleted, I have no tools left and I can't kick off of anything. God damn it, I didn't think this brat would make it this far!_

"Art of the White Raven, DRILL PECK!"- Naruto spun really fast, creating an actual drill. Everyone gasped.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT, THAT'S MY CLAN'S TECHNIQUE, TSUUGA!"- Kiba shouted. Naruto was heard laughing.

"IT'S BASED OFF OF YOUR CLAN'S TECHNIQUE, BUT IT'S A MILLION TIMES BETTER!"- electricity started envolving the drill right before it connected with Sasuke's torso. It remained for a few seconds, spinning and cutting the Uchiha's upper body part before they broke off. Naruto spun back and stopped the momentum by getting on all fours, looking at Sasuke who had gone flying against the wall yet again, but this time, he coughed blood and did not get up. Naruto stood up and slapped his hands together, brushing the dirt and dust off. Iruka went to check on Sasuke.

"He's ok, though we should get him to the hospital. Some of these cuts could get infected."- Iruka stood up and immediately was pushed away by Sakura and Ino.

"I'm going to take Sasuke-kun to the hospital! And I'll bring him flowers every day!"- the blonde fangirl declared. Sakura laughed.

"Hell no! I'll take him to the hospital, if he sees your face when he wakes up, he'll fall unconscious again!"- and so the fight went on. Meanwhile, the rest of the Genin were dumbfounded.

"I-Impossible! How could someone like Naruto defeat someone like Sasuke? Shikamaru muttered. Choji nodded.

"This can't be real!"- one said.

"He probably cheated!"- another suggested. All that Naruto did was walk away. After a few steps though, he stopped and looked to his right, seeing Neji.

"I bet you didn't see that coming. Geniuses will be Geniuses, Losers will be Losers and the latter will never defeat the first. I heard you the other day, and let this be a lesson to you. Our fates are decided by us and only us."- Naruto smiled, looking at Neji as if he had just slapped him across the face. But then, he noticed the blushing Hinata by the Hyuuga's side. Naruto himself blushed before walking away again.

"Everyone that has graduated, come by here tomorrow to know which team you have been assigned to."- Iruka announced, not sure of what to say and scratching his head.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter: Team 7

"Eh? I have to be in the same team as that emo? Iruka-sensei, why does the next Hokage have to be paired with the next suicider?"- Naruto asked, protesting after his Chuunin teacher announced that Sasuke and Sakura would be in his team. Iruka facepalmed.

"Naruto, you idiot! Sasuke had the best grades out of the class. You had the worst! To have a balanced team, you need to be paired with him!"- he replied. Everyone laughed. The blond jinchuuriki stood up and banged his fist on the table, infuriated.

"I beated him in a fight! That makes me your best student now!"- having nothing that he could use against Naruto's argument, Iruka simply sighed.

"Whatever. As I was saying, Team 7 will be composed of Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. All of the mentioned, please walk out of the room to meet your Sensei, Hatake Kakashi."- the three rose, though contradicted. Sakura didn't want to be in a team with Naruto, Naruto didn't want to be in a team with Sasuke and Sasuke didn't want to be in a team with either of them. As soon as they were reaching for the door, a voice made itself heard.

"W-wait Naruto-kun!"- they turned around to see Hinata looking down at her hands while talking. Naruto immediately blushed.

"Y-yes, Hinata-chan?"- he replied. Everyone in the classroom wanted to facepalm, and one of the students suggested that they should get a room.

"M-my parents w-wanted to i-invite you for dinner later today in order to c-congratulate you for p-passing the academy. C-can you come?"- she asked. Naruto couldn't believe his luck, but didn't let it be shown on his face.

"Y-yeah, sure. See you later Hinata!"- he answered. Kiba stood up, laughing as Akamaru barked like an insane dog.

"Looks like the "White Crow" turned into a cute little lovebird!"- he taunted before howling like a wolf. Naruto reached to his back and took out his Fuma Shuriken. As soon as he was going to unfold it though, Sakura pushed him out of the classroom, preventing any bloodshed.

"What the hell were you thinking? You can't just throw Fuma Shuriken at everyone that angers you!"- the pink haired genin complained. Naruto placed the shuriken back and looked at her with an annoyed look.

"Fine, fine. I'll try not to throw it against comrades. Happy, mother?"- he asked back. A tick mark appeared on her forehead before she punched him across the face, sending him tumbling around on the ground. The silver-haired jounin rose his eyes from the little book that had a "forbidden" sign on the cover.

"Do I want to know what's happening here?"- he asked. The genin turned their attention to him. Kakashi seemed, out of all options, cool. He had a mask that covered half of his face, his forehead protector was tilted and covered his left eye and his hair was all spiked up.

"Are you Hatake Kakashi? We are team 7. I am Haruno Sakura, pleased to meet you sensei."- the pink-haired Genin formally greeted her new mentor, certainly trying to get on his good side. This obviously didn't work as Kakashi sighed.

"And I guess you are the member of the team that tries to look completely innocent and formal even though you are one of the biggest fangirls around and let your emotions control you most of the times, am I right?"- this seemed to be offensive to her as she lowered her head, not speaking another word.

"Hey, even though I don't really like her, Sakura doesn't deserve to be treated that way!"- Naruto interfered, sticking his index finger against the jounin's chest. The jounin sighed again and closed his book before putting it in his weapon pocket.

"I treat you genins however I want. No team has passed so far under my eye and that is getting boring. So I'll give you dobes a few tips. First,"- he quickly gripped Naruto's arm, spun and wrenched him over himself, slamming him to the ground with a judo throw.- "Do not lay a finger on me. And Second, don't try to be perfect and innocent kittens. No one is. And I guess you are the student that tries to be so cool and broody even though all you are is depressed and emo on the inside. All that you do throughout your day is train and cry to yourself over how you just can't seem to get better."

"Don't talk to Sasuke-kun that way!"- Sakura complained. Kakashi laughed and had to slap his leg to control himself.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAH... THIS IS JUST PRICELESS! Man, this sounds like that Icha Icha chapter where a really straight up schoolgirl became a fangirl of a really emo dude because he was so cool. And they also had an idiot as a sidekick! Pfft... HAHAHAHA!"- he continued to laugh until a whistling sound came from behind him. He had to jump in order to avoid the sparkling Fuma Shuriken, but wasn't fast enough to avoid Naruto's shuriken barrage. After a second or two, he turned into a log.

"Nice Kawarimi timing."- were Sasuke's first words to the silver-haired man who quickly appeared behind Naruto, holding a kunai to his neck.- "But if there's one thing you should know, is that our "sidekick" can't be surprised."

"What the?"- Kakashi muttered as the Shuriken came flying back at him. He managed to avoid it, but when he looked back, Naruto had disappeared. Sasuke pointed up, smirking. Kakashi looked up to see Naruto falling with his Drill Peck technique. Poor Kakashi, or at least Poor Kakashi's Kage Bunshin was drilled into the ground before turning into a white smoke cloud.

And so the battle went on until Sakura and Sasuke suggested that Kakashi should actually do sensei stuff besides fighting one of his students. He led them to a clearing in the nearby forest while reading his perverted porn book. Naruto taunted him about it a bunch of times, but he payed him no attention, secretly promising himself that he would kill the kid later. They reached an area that had three big logs and pieces of rope around them.

"You little trolls think you are shinobi already? You really think that that little stupid exam makes you ninja?"- the jounin asked. Naruto immediately got annoyed.

"I didn't get an exam. I beated emo face here in a fight. That battle made me the best student this year! Oh, and I did it using only taijutsu!"- the jinchuuriki quickly bragged with a big smile on his face. Kakashi quickly laughed and pointed a finger at Sasuke.

"Ha! What a loser! You just lost to the next Might Gai!"- this pissed off Sasuke deeply as a tick mark appeared on his head.

"Do you have a point? Sensei?"- he asked and Kakashi quickly got back on track, tacking two bells from his weapon bag.

"This is the bell test. There are two bells. They are going to be tied to my belt. You trolls have until midnight to capture them. There are only two, so one of you is going to fail. A little warning, you won't be able to capture them if you aren't willing to kill me."- Naruto smiled and pointed up, laughing.

"He's waaaay ahead of you sensei."- Sasuke was running through handseals.

"KATON: GOUKAKYU NO JUTSU!"- Kakashi couldn't believe it! _Impossible! A genin shouldn't have the chakra reserves that that jutsu needs! Maybe this kid really inherited the power of the Uchiha!_ The gigantic ball of fire quickly hit the ground, forcing Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura to dodge it. When the smoke cleared out, Kakashi and Naruto were standing while the other two were gone.

"Oh look, they're already hiding! I didn't know my teammates were such cowards. I demand a new team!"- Kakashi facepalmed and rage took hold of him. Just how retarded was this kid? Could he really be the Fourth Hokage's son? There had to be a mistake. Please, if there was a Kami, please let it be a mistake.

"You stupid idiot! A ninja's golden rule is to hide and analyze the target, not stand in front of it and make surprisingly crappy comments about your teammates! Hell, even if a ninja does stay to fight, it should be to do exactly that! Fight! Not being an asshole."- hearing this, Naruto laughed and laughed.

"Are you sure you are the jounin, Hatake Kakashi? Because you are pretty stupid."- he pointed behind him. Kakashi looked behind only to realize that the kid was right. He was so stupid. There was absolutely nothing there. Kakashi turned around again to face Naruto, but all he faced was a fist, being sent flying back and tumbling across the grounds before regaining balance.

"You damn brat!"- Kakashi was furious, not just at the fox boy, but at himself. Was he really that retarded? Naruto smirked.

"Sorry, Dumbkashi. I promised someone I'd meet them for dinner. I don't have much time to play with you."- to play with him? Damn it those were supposed to be his words! This brat was going to pay.

"So I heard you don't like ninjutsu, how about this?"- Kakashi started going through handseals but Naruto laughed.

"He's way ahead of you again."- three fire flares came flying at the jounin who masterfully dodged them. Sakura was readying some kunai for his landing, but Kakashi quickly performed seals again.

"Second Ninja Art: Genjutsu."- it took Sakura a couple of moments before falling to the ground, shouting for Sasuke and passing out. On her eyes, Sasuke had been stabbed and used as a pin coushion. He was bleeding out in front of her and begging for help before collapsing with his eyes opened. Dead. That was too much for her.

Back to the remaining ninja, Kakashi was smiling to himself. _So that is as far as that little girl goes? Pscht, she'll just slow these two down. They seem to have potential._ He was about to name the third ninja art, but was rudely interrupted while falling.

"Let me guess, third ninja art, taijutsu?"- Naruto jumped directly at the spot where Kakashi would be falling to and started spinning, electricity enveloping him.- "White Crow Art: Drill Peck!"

"Well played, but not well enough!"- Kakashi's hand became enveloped in lightning before he grabbed Naruto, stopping his momentum and jumping over him before throwing him into the air. Sasuke was gone.- "Not done yet!"

"Well thought."- the jounin muttered as Naruto took advantage of the momentum to open his Fuma Shuriken, backflip and throw it at Kakashi.- "Too avoidable! A ninja's role is to be unpredictable!"

"I think we did a good job of that."- Naruto replied as Kakashi jumped just enough to avoid the shuriken which then transformed into Sasuke who took a hold of the two bells, throwing one at Naruto.

"That was a good plan, actually."- the Uchiha complimented. Naruto laughed and gave him a thumbs up.

"Thanks, good timing with the henge! Kakashi sensei, a ninja must see under the details themselves. Didn't you notice that I suddenly had two Fuuma Shuriken on my back?"- and then it hit him. Kakashi had seen the other tool, but didn't make much of it. The kid had used his own philosophy against him. He used genjutsu without actually using genjutsu! _I have to admit, this kid has style._ Kakashi smiled.

"Congratulations, you are the first team, or two boys to pass my bell test!"- Sakura stood up, smiling.

"She was in the plan all along, Kakashi. She faked her fainting to make you overconfident. Before the fight started, Naruto had already told us that he'd stall you until we had a plan. While you were too busy with using illusions on Sakura, he and I discussed the plan."- the Uchiha bragged. Kakashi felt embarassed.

"Well, you all pass. You actually used teamwork. Congratulations, you are Konoha Genin. Come here tomorrow by eight in the morning so we can start our training and missions. You are all excused."- _Kami, these kids aren't ordinary. I never accepted a single student until now, and they beat the test in minutes? _Naruto couldn't be happier, attaching his bell to his actual Fuuma Shuriken before walking away.

Five Hours Later

"Alright, seven pm. Gotta go eat at Hinata's!"- the jinchuuriki spoke to himself while adding some old collogne to his neck. The Third Hokage had given it to him, saying that his father used to wear it. Naruto rarely did, wearing it only on really special occasions, which was the case. He had run through his father's old clothes, trying to find something more appropriate than his normal clothes. Only ten minutes later did he remember that he was still too young and small to wear them. And so, he decided to wear his black jacket and fingerless gloves with his new pair of black baggy pants. He also tied his forehead protector around his neck, like Hinata did. He looked at himself on the mirror. _I would have asked Mikoto for something appropriate, but I bet she would just give me some stupid frog suit. Wait a second, why am I trying so hard, it's just dinner!_

He turned around and opened the door, darting out. Even though he had plenty of time, he ran. He loved to run and was quite good at it. Good enough to be the fastest person in the whole village and some of the older folks compared him to his father, who was the village's fastest runner in his days. Some even said that he outsped his father. Hiruzen Sarutobi was one of them.

Naruto was awakened from his memories when he passed the Yamanaka flower shop. _Hiashi, her father, is old school. I should at least bring something to honor his daughter. Good job brain, I can't begin to count how many times you've saved me from certain death!_ He quickly hurried over to Ino who was currently serving as the cashier.

"Hey Ino!"- the jinchuuriki greeted. She rose her bored face to look at him and grinned in an evil way as if she had found something that could finally entertain her. She proceeded to throw her hair behind in a sensual faction and looked at him with an arrogant glare.

"Oh, look who it is, Uzumaki Naruto the most annoying brat of Konoha, oh wait, of the world! What are you here for? Are you going to make a garden that you can annoy to death or did you find some squirrel that looked attractive?"- she asked with a mean tone. Naruto could have been struck by those words and really hurt. But as the former narrator, one of my best colleagues who got shot to death, said, Naruto was not a known giver of fucks.

"Still as pleasant as always Ino. I could have fallen inlove with you if you weren't so fat. Seriously, look at those folds!"- he pointed at her belly which was surprisingly skinny. She quickly shrieked and quickly summoned a mirror to check herself.

"Where? Where? I can't be fat, please Kami don't let me be fat!"- she was obviously desperate. The scenario was so sad that even Naruto had to call it off.

"Relax, I'm just kidding. I'm here to buy a white rose, do you have one?"- she shot a death glare at him. A glare filled with such evil that Naruto's soul trembled. Even the kyuubi, who was in the deepest parts of Naruto's Soul anatomy, shook, wondering what kind of killing intention could be so powerful, powerful enough to defeat his!

"Yes, as a matter of fact we do. That'll be fifty ryou."- she replied, going to the back of the store and returning with one beautiful white rose. The rumors were right, the Yamanaka rose the best flowers in the Land of Fire. If not in the world.

"Fifty ryou? Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful, but isn't that a bit excessive?"- he asked. She gave him a malicious grin.

"The extra twenty five are for pissing me off. Want to add the bonus ten ryou for complaining?"- he sighed and reached for his pocket, taking out his wallet and handing her fifty ryou. _So long, half of my monthly money for food. Thank Kami that Teuchi gee-san doesn't charge much.- _"Thank you for making your purchase in Yamanaka's Garden. We wish you a happy day!"

"Yeah, up yours too Ino."- Naruto replied, making her laugh because she knew she had just screwed him over. He walked out of the store, holding his rose as if it was a very fragile baby that if layed a finger on, would crumble to pieces. He quickly, but carefully hurried over to the Hyuuga Estate.

As he arrived, he could finally comprehend the immensity of the place. It was such a big area that it could rival the Uchiha Manor, which unfortunately, wasn't used anymore.

"Hold it right there! One more step and I will use force!"- he turned around to see one of the Hyuuga guards approaching him. He quickly raised his hands up in the air, showing he meant no harm.

"Hyuuga Hiashi and Hyuuga Hikari are expecting me for dinner."- he explained. The guard was confused.

"So you are their Honourable guest? I will never understand Hiashi-sama. Stay here while I go confirm this information."- the guard replied, turning around and walking towards the main house. Even though it wasn't visible, Naruto knew that his Byakugan was activated in order to keep the Uzumaki under his eye.

"It's ok Rozu, he is my guest. You may return to your duties."- a man came from the house itself, dismissing the guard who shot a death glare at Naruto as if saying that he didn't belong there.

"Surely, Hiashi-sama."- and he walked away to guard the entrance again, not dignifying Naruto with another look.

"Hello, Naruto. Thank you for coming."- the Hyuuga clan's head had long black hair and milky white eyes just like every single Hyuuga clan member. He wore traditional, loose fitting robes with a long-sleeved, brown haori.

"Hello, Hiashi-sama. Thank you for inviting me to dine at your home. I feel honored."- Naruto replied, bowing. If there was someone he had respect for, it was Hiashi. Hiashi was one of the few people that never really judged him. Hell, sometimes Hiashi even taught him some cool taijutsu moves. But Hiashi wasn't the type of person for affection. He was very formal, even with his daughters, Hinata and Hanabi. Hikari was the only person he publicly showed affection for. The woman was like the sun to him.

"We feel honored for having you here, Naruto-kun."- Hikari walked out of the house, following her husband. Hikari was pretty much as pretty as she was when Naruto first met her. Her long and straight dark blue hair was obviously tended to and her skinwas as smooth as a baby's. She was very pretty and left no wonder as to why Hiashi married her.

"Hikari-sama, so very nice to see you! Thank you for inviting me for dinner."- he bowed again, she chuckled.

"Naruto, you know that there's no need for that. You're practically from the family."- she replied. He smiled. Hikari had always been very nice to him. Probably because she used to be his mother's best friend. The door opened once again and out came Hinata. She was wearing a blue kimono and looked prettier than any girl Naruto had ever imagined. He immediately took out a scroll, opened it and made chakra run through it. A white cloud of smoke appeared before dissipating and revealing a beautiful white rose that he handed over to Hinata while kneeling.

"For you, beautiful princess."- Hinata immediately blushed and her face was burning up. She almost passed out, but something made her stay up as she gracefully took the rose and smelled it, blushing more while bowing her head.

"Thank you, it smells wonderfully."- was all she could make her vocal chords mutter. Hikari smiled, approving of the act. Hiashi's face remained expressionless as if he expected it. He snapped his fingers and almost instantly, five Hyuuga guards including Rozu surrounded Naruto. The jinchuuriki looked at Hiashi, confused. The man simply smiled.

"After defeating the Uchiha survivor, you proved that you are strong, perhaps the strongest genin in the village. And therefore, I approve of an eventual relationship between you and Hinata. But you have to prove yourself worthy of being involved with someone of her lineage. Defeat my guards and I will consider you worthy. Fail to defeat them and I will have you banned from the estate until you can."- the Hyuuga explained. Naruto bowed his head before smiling. He took hold of the Fuuma Shuriken on his back.

"Let's get this started then."

Thirty Minutes Later

"Uff, Uff, Uff, … happy?"- he asked Hiashi. The five guards were on the floor. One or two were bleeding but the rest were just knocked out. Naruto himself was in a bad shape. The Hyuuga fighting style was dangerous even if deadly force was not used. He had to rely on all of his speed to take them down and he had to use Drill Peck a bunch of times in order to come out unharmed. But if he found a bed, he would probably fall in it to wake up next week. Hiashi was smiling, as if he knew that this was going to happen, and led Naruto into the house. It was really well decorated, it seemed full of life. They were lead to a table where some sushi was waiting for them. Naruto went to wash his hands before coming back. He ate and ate and ate, hungry like the wolf.

"One thing Naruto, how do you use the Raiton element with your Drill Peck technique?"- Hiashi asked. Naruto grinned and laughed before tapping his forehead with his index finger, implying some deception.

"To be honest, it's only for the looks. I only had so much time to practice my chakra nature, and didn't really get to improve my jutsu's power with it. So I only use it to make it look cool!"- Hiashi was somewhat disappointed, though he could have expected nothing else. Naruto was the most unpredictable ninja anyways. And just the fact that he could use his Chakra Nature while this young was a miracle.

An hour passed as they ate, drank and shared stories and jokes. Even Hiashi laughed, telling the story of how he managed to fool a friend on a bet by finding out what card he had on his hand with the Byakugan. When dinner was over, the women, Hanabi, Hikari and Hinata went to wash the dishes while Hiashi took Naruto out, leading him to the estate's garden. It was beautiful, well taken care of and even had a miniature waterfall.

"Naruto, there is something I have to tell you. You do know that your father and I used to be friends, right?"- Naruto quickly nodded. Like his mother, Kushina, befriended Hikari, his father, Minato, befriended Hiashi. It was something that he had known for some time but never really did understand.- "You do know what's inside of you, right?"

"Yes, the Kyuubi. What does that have to do with this though?"- Hiashi let a bunch of air out as if relieved from having to do something unconfortable.

"It wasn't always inside you. Your mother was the previous host. One day, for some reason that even I don't understand, the Kyuubi escaped. You were about four years old by then, so you probably don't remember. I...I was sent by the Hokage to examine the battlegrounds with the rest of the capable Hyuuga. With our Byakugan, we'd be able to find people where others wouldn't. The Kyuubi was gone, but then, I found your father and mother. They were both very hurt, and had no chance of survival. They had died trying to protect you. Minato was still alive when I got there, but there was nothing I could do."- as he spoke, tears fell from his eyes as if talking about it really hurt him. Minato had obviously been a close friend to the Hyuuga. It took Hiashi a couple of moments before he could talk again.- "Your father did ask me something before he died. He handed me one of his special kunai and said: "Hiashi, my friend. I can't give much to Naruto right now, and he probably won't forgive me for sealing the Kyuubi inside of him, but I want him to know that I loved him, and so, I leave this jutsu to him. Please, hand him the kunai." He then handed me the knife and a letter that he had written before the battle in the case that anything happened. Today, I think that you should receive it. Your speed almost matched his in the battle an hour ago. You have no idea of how much you look like him."

"Wow...thanks Hiashi-sama."- Naruto said, listening to the story as the Hyuuga handed him a three-pointed kunai that had a sealing on the handle. It looked beautiful and deadly. A letter was attached to it. Naruto was about to open it when Hiashi held his hand.

"That letter is special. Your father implanted a seal on it that prevents anyone from seeing what's inside without tearing the envelope. If you open it here, any Hyuuga will have access to it with the Byakugan."- he advised. Naruto couldn't have been more grateful. He was about to ask about what the technique was, because if it was actual ninjutsu, it wouldn't be much use to him. But Hiashi had already turned around.- "I'm sorry, but I must rest. This night has tired me. Thank you for visiting, Naruto. I hope you do it more regularly now."

And with that, he left, leaving Naruto alone in the garden. Naruto quickly implanted the letter on a scroll that he was carrying. The only thing that he ever had been successful at in ninja arts besides taijutsu was fuinjutsu, though it was rather hard to apply to an actual battle. When he was done, he could see that Hinata was outside as well, three steps away from him.

"Naruto-kun, do you truly believe that fate can be changed?"- she asked, looking at the small lake in front of her. He nodded.

"Of course. Fate exists for us to change it. It isn't something we should follow. We need only to use it as a guideline for some times. If we exist merely to do what Fate demands, why do we exist at all? But tell me, what truly bothers you?"- he replied. She shrugged and a lonely tear fell from her eyes.

"No matter what I do, I can't get any respect from my father or cousin. They believe I am a failure and that I will never become skilled as a ninja."- she confessed, looking down at her feet with sadness on her face. Naruto approached her and placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"Listen Hinata, I bet you can become a great ninja. You just haven't shown your true worth yet. If you keep letting others take you down before you can even try to do something, you won't achieve things."- this wasn't helping, and so, Naruto decided to change strategy.- "I saw you training the other day. You inspired me to train even harder. Heck, you gave me the idea for my techniques. I have to admit, I was afraid of getting hit by you that day. You just need to show your talent more often."

"..."- she didn't answer, but a big smile appeared on her face. She quickly closed in on Naruto and placed a kiss on his lips before running back to her house's door.- "Thank you Naruto-kun."

"..."- the blond jinchuuriki simply watched as she darted inside. He was dumbfounded. The girl he loved, kissed him. Not knowing what to make of it, he simply walked home, his mouth shaping a perfect "o". As he arrived at his house, he remembered something and quickly summoned the envelope tearing it to pieces to get to the message his father had left him. What he read left tears on his eyes.

_ Naruto, this is your father, Minato Namikaze. When you receive this letter, I will be dead. I want you to know that even after everything I've done to you, I love you from the bottom of my heart and only wish for you to succeed in life. You're an Uzumaki after all! Though I can't give you much, I leave behind my Hokage robes in hopes that you'll get to wear them some day, and I entrust Hiashi-san to deliver my kunai to you. It has the seal for my Flying Thunder God technique, which allows you to teleport to the kunai itself at any time. Instructions for creating more of these kunai and using the technique itself are on the back of the letter. Your mother has also left you one thing, check with the Third Hokage, and you'll receive it. We're sorry that we couldn't be there for you son, but we love you. Goodbye,_

_Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Missions

Even though they were socially the worst team, they pulled out wonders in their missions. Every time they were sent to paint a house, they would be back in less than an hour. When sent to walk the Kennel's dogs, each student came back to the kennel with three big tired as hell dogs. When sent to take out weeds, … wait a minute. These aren't real missions, what the hell? Tora might be hard to catch, but after catching him so many times that a new capture only took a few seconds, the team decided to get a real mission!

And that was why the Hokage's office door was kicked open, almost flying off of its hinges. The Hokage merely rose his eyes from the paperwork, confirming his suspicions. Who else could it be?

"Hello Naruto, how are you?"- he asked, giving the jinchuuriki a smile, pretending not to know why they were there. He had been throwing crap missions at them on purpose, Kushina had made him promise he wouldn't put Naruto in harm's way.

"Hokage gee-san, these missions are for babies! Give us a real mission!"- the jinchuuriki replied, obviously annoyed with his boring missions. Ninja were supposed to be awesome and kick thug ass, not to pickup trash and hunt cats.

"Although Naruto was a bit rude, I agree Hokage-sama. Please give us a higher ranked mission."- Sakura followed with a serious expression on her face.

"How am I supposed to be all cool and broody while painting houses?"- Sasuke asked. _Wait, what the fuck did I just say? Is Naruto's stupidity contagious?_ The Hokage cleared his voice.

"What do you think, Kakashi? Are they ready for something better than a D-rank?"- Sarutobi asked. Kakashi rose his eyes from the Icha-Icha and nodded, not being able to stop reading for so long. Naruto made a mental note to burn that book to ashes sooner or later.

"Ok then, we've just received a C-rank escort mission. You are supposed to escort Tazuna, a bridge builder, to his house in the Land of Waves. Is that good enough, Naruto?"- the Hokage handed him a sheet. Naruto quickly snatched it and turned around, walking away.

"It'll do for now. See ya, gee-san. By the way, when we get back, we need to have a talk."- the blonde walked out of the room, followed by Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi. The Hokage was confused, could he possibly be talking about that?

Meanwhile, Team Seven was already outside, laughing their asses off. Even Kakashi was bent over, gripping his hurting abs from laughing so much.

"Did you see the demanding look that Naruto gave him?"- Sakura asked, causing another round of laughs.

"I'm so glad we did that."- Kakashi commented, wiping a laugh tear off of his eye before looking at Naruto.- "What was the mission about anyway?"

"Thats why you shouldn't read porn while receiving missions. It starts in two hours. We have to escort Tazuna, a bridge builder, to his home in the Land of Waves. On the way, we must protect him against bandits, wild animals, etc. We will receive the standard Thirty Thousand ryou each for the mission."- Naruto answered. The other genin smiled. The payment system was generous. For the half-assed D missions, they received Five thousand. For the C-ranks, they received thirty thousand. For B-ranks they received a hundred and fifty thousand. For As, they received five hundred thousand and if they ever got any S-ranks, they would receive a million. Even though the shinobi life wasn't very interesting when in D-ranks, it sure payed well. For Naruto, it was even better news, since he had just recently been ripped off by a flower salesgirl.

"Ok, everyone split up. We'll meet with Tazuna-san by the gate in two hours."

Two hours later

"What is this, a team for ants?!"- the old man that smelled like he bathed in sake replied. Tazuna was a man in his fifties. He had dark gray hair and a rough beard. His body muscles were toned, probably from years and years of building bridges. He had a tan skin, which wasn't odd since he lived near the sea. He wore simple fisher clothes, a pair of glasses and a straw hat. He seemed like an asshole.

"Do not worry Tazuna-san. These three genin, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, are strong enough to protect you. And even if they aren't, a jounin like me will be."- Kakashi answered.

"We understand that having a ninja called Naruto (sliced fish cake I believe) might not be very intimidating."- Sasuke taunted.

"Yeah, but I was intimidating enough to kick your ass."- Naruto replied. They engaged on a verbal fight that Sakura stopped with a single punch to Naruto's head.

"Whatever, let's just go."- and with that, they took off.

The trip was pretty boring for the first five hours. Though the genin had their guards up, the most they detected were a bunch of squirrels and an incredibly persistant wild boar that only gave up after taking a Housenka blast to the ass.

"Oh look, two puddles!"- Naruto quickly ran and jumped, ready to land on said puddle, ignoring Kakashi's warnings.

"Gah, what the fuck!"- a voice yelled as the puddle turned into a man who wore dark assassin clothes and a face mask. Naruto had landed with both feet on his face.

"Hey, you aren't wet and funny!"- Naruto quickly hopped off of him.

"And you're a fucking dream come true, ain't ya kid?"- the other puddle turned into a perfect copy of him. Both of the men had a single gauntlet that was connected to the other by a spiked chain. It looked pretty menacing and deadly.

"Mizu Bunshin?"- Sakura asked, trying to appear smart.

"No, they're twins. Isn't that obvious?"- Naruto asked. The two brothers laughed and pointed straight at the jinchuuriki.

"You're funny kid, that's why..."- one started.

"... we're going to kill you first!"- and they dashed at him, ready to shred the boy to pieces. Naruto simply opened his Fuma Shuriken and threw it vertically. The giant ninja star hit the middle of the chain and prevented it from moving forward with its owners. For every action, though, there was a reaction. Since the twins were running forward and the middle of the chain was pulled back, they went both flying head first into each other, knocking themselves out.

"I don't know if Naruto is a genius or if they are the stupidest Chuunin I have ever heard of."- Kakashi muttered. After a couple of moments, he scratched his head.- "Probably a bit of both."

"Hey, shouldn't you do something? They might wake up any second now!"- Tazuna asked, worried about the poison dripping gauntlets. Sasuke quickly reached for a roll of ninja wire but Naruto stopped him with a devious grin.

"I have an idea."- he quickly detached te chain from the gauntlets and tied the twins with it, building a complex contraption before pinning the chain to a tree with a kunai. By then, the twins awakened.

"What the...?"- one of them muttered. The other tried to facepalm but was obviously unsucessfull, so merely resorted to a sigh.

"They tied us up with our own chain. How humilliating."- the smart one concluded. Naruto smiled and approached them.

"Gentlemen, I'm only going to say this once, so hear me out. You are currently stuck in a trap I devised. You two are very stupid, so I'll use small words. That kunai is the only thing stopping the chain from spinning around a bunch of knots and tree branches while ripping you two to shreds."- this obviously scared the two, considering how they suddenly stopped moving, afraid that if they blinked, they would die. It took a few moments before the smart one spoke.

"What do you want?"- he asked. Naruto smiled.

"I want to know who hired you. I read the Bingo Book. You're the Demon Brothers, assassins for hire. Known for being rather persisten. You don't kill people for free though, so who hired you?"- the jinchuuriki replied, making them gasp as they tried to choose between betraying their boss and dying. The decision wasn't heard.

"Zabuza, Momochi Zabuza! He's our boss! He told us to kill Tazuna! That's all we know! He tells us to kill, we kill and get payed, that's all there is."- the dumb one quickly explained. Suddenly, the kunai that was stuck to the tree flipped off of it to get stuck in another tree, a few meters away. As a result, the chain was released, causing the twins to be ripped to shreds, spattering blood everywhere and scaring Tazuna.

"Why did you do that, kid? They told you what you wanted to know!"- the man asked. Naruto showed him a second kunai. It had been used to knock off the first one.

"This wasn't my doing."- a rustling sound made itself heard behind them. Being familiarized with his Fuma Shuriken's sound while it goes through the air, he knew that something sharp was coming.- "Get down!"

"Shit!"- Tazuna yelled as a gigantic sword came from nowhere, spinning like a shuriken and hitting a tree, being stuck there. The store had a circular hole on the top between the sharp blade and the dull side, and a semi-circular hole on the blade right after the handle. A shinobi appeared on it then. He had bandages around his mouth and nose, just like Kakashi. He wore camo forearm warmers and camo pants. He wore a rogue Kirigakure forehead protector right after his spiky hair.

"Gozu, Meizu, what a disappointment. You were some of my most loyal followers, and yet you betray me so easily. Now you're dead."- the man muttered. Kakashi rose, looking directly at the man.

"Momochi Zabuza, The Demon of Kirigakure."- their jounin saluted.

"From the looks, you're Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi. That'll make this mission fun. I hope so anyway, I hate boring kills."- the assassin replied.

"Wait, Zabuza? Momochi Zabuza? From Kirigakure's Legendary Seven Swordsmen?"- Naruto asked. Zabuza laughed out loud before grinning through the mask. The sight wasn't pretty, to say the least. He crouched and grabbed Naruto's kunai.

"I guess you guys from Konoha know us as well. Yeah,why?"- the swordsman replied.- "Nice knife by the way."

"Thanks."- Naruto teleported to the knife, shocking everyone as he punched Zabuza in the face hard enough to send flying back. Before the rogue-nin could land, though, Naruto threw the kunai to the place Zabuza would fall on, teleported there and turned around to punch him in the face yet again. Zabuza went tumbling back before backflipping and landing on his feet. Naruto smirked, as if he was just playing.

"What the fuck?"- Zabuza had no idea in hell about what was going on. _What was that? He didn't run at me, he materialized next to me. Could it have something to do with that knife?_ One thing Zabuza knew. He shouldn't underestimate that kid.

Before Kakashi could do anything, Zabuza formed a handseal and quickly disappeared in a mist that formed unnaturally.

"Ninpou: Kirigakure no jutsu."- _I don't feel like fucking around. I'm going to take out that jounin and then have a nice little game with the kids._

"Everyone, form around Tazuna. Zabuza specializes in silent assassination. His target is Tazuna, so I'll track him down."- Kakashi commanded. The three genin surrounded Tazuna, weapons ready to attack and kill.

"Naruto, what was that? How did you get to him so fast? You weren't that quick a week ago."- Sakura asked. Naruto smiled as he could feel the envy of his power emanating from Sasuke. He showed her his kunai and the seal that the handle had.

"It's a jutsu that my dad, the Yondaime Hokage used. It's called "Hiraishin no jutsu", or "Flying Thunder God." Without the kunai, it would cost a lot of chakra, but the kunai reduces that ammount alot. But, it has a twist. You can't just steal the kunai and use it. You need to know how to teleport, otherwise when you activate it, you'll get stuck in a different dimension and die."- he replied, glancing at her perfect "o" shaped mouth. Sasuke was getting nervous for some reason and tried to shrug it off by asking another question.

"Can you use it without the kunai?"- he asked. At this, Naruto smirked. The Hiraishin no jutsu had multiple strengths. One of them being you could teleport to something that you placed a seal on, including your enemy.

"Yes, if I engage in a taijutsu fight for example, I can place a seal on my enemy without him knowing and teleport to him later. It costs a lot of chakra though, even for someone with my reserves."- he explained. The technique wasn't made public for a reason. If someone besides an Uzumaki, Kage or jinchuuriki tried to use the technique, they would probably die.

"I see..."- Sasuke wasn't even listening to him anymore. The mist was making him insane. He could feel killing intent in the air. It was so intense that he wanted it to end, no matter what._ I'm going to kill myself!_ He grabbed his kunai and started raising it to his own neck.

"Sasuke! Relax. I am not going to let my comrades die."- Kakashi's voice was heard. Sasuke broke out of it immediately. He felt confident. Kakashi was famous as one of the if not the most powerful Jounin of Konoha. There was no way they would die.

"Brave words for someone that is imprisoned! Suiton: Suiro no jutsu!"- the mist disappeared to reveal Kakashi being entraped on a water sphere by Zabuza some meters away from the genin gang. The crazed killer looked at the three kids.- "Your precious leader and master is now imprisoned. Let's face it, you three against a Jounin class ninja. You're going to die."

"Go away! You can't defeat him! Take Tazuna and run! He can't leave without releasing me!"- Kakashi shouted. Naruto smirked and tilted his head to the side, giving his Uchiha partner a confident look.

"Do you feel like running away Sasuke?"- he asked. Sasuke laughed before turning his face and returning Naruto the look.

"Running away wouldn't just be boring, it'd be stupid. If he's so good, Kakashi, he'll just drown you and come after us. We have to attack."- Zabuza laughed insanely at this as if the whole situation was a complicated joke that only he seemed to get. The murderer rose his hand to point at the two before flipping them off.

"Try me, bitches."- he taunted. Naruto approached Sasuke and they exchanged ideas through mutters. Zabuza thought of stopping them, but he decided that if they actually tried, it would be more fun. When they agreed on the plan, Naruto stepped forward and pointed at Zabuza.

"You're the last known alive member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. It took a bit of searching, but I found out an old diary of a ninja that said that the most powerful member of the Swordsmen usually carried a scroll that could be used to summon said swords so they wouldn't have to carry them. Since you're the only one alive, you're the strongest one. Give me Nuibari and I'll let you go."- the blonde proposed. Zabuza laughed and laughed. Then, he stopped to look at Naruto.

"Wait, you're actually serious?"- and then he laughed like an insane person again. Naruto didn't show any kind of emotion as the trained killer mocked him.- "You think I'm just going to hand over one of the Legendary Swords to some derp I met? You'll have to take it from my cold dead hands!"

"Fine with me!"- a cloud of white smoke appeared around him. It soon dissipated, revealing a Naruto holding an open Fuma Shuriken. He jumped up, frontflipped and threw the death star at Zabuza. It went like a buzz saw and everyone was convinced that the villain would simply be cut in half. He killed their expectations as he merely grabbed the shuriken with his free arm.

"After wielding KubiKiriBocho for so long, grabbing a Fuma Shuriken is easy as pie to me. Naruto smirked, making Zabuza realize that the attack wasn't over there. A second Fuma Shuriken appeared in the shadows and went straight at Zabuza.- "Nice try, but not good enough!"

"Damn it!"- Tazuna swore as Zabuza simply hopped over the shuriken. Naruto was still smirking as the shuriken exploded in a cloud of white smoke revealing that it was merely a disguised Sasuke. Sasuke turned to look at Zabuza while flying back, running through handseals.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"- he spat gigantic fire ball that went straight at the murderer. Zabuza turned his head to look at the raging hell that was directed at him.

"Fuck!"- he jumped up, releasing Kakashi from the prison. In the middle of the air, he ran through handseals. Kakashi was also running through them, as if copying the murderer. Zabuza was at the peak of his jump when Naruto misteriously appeared in front of him, grinning.- "What in the living fuck...?"

"White Crow Art: Drill Peck!"- Naruto spun, creating a drill with his body, hitting Zabuza and making him crash against the ground. When the dust settled, they could see Naruto standing a few meters away and Zabuza laying down on a small crater.

"You...little...ss-shit. How?"- he asked. Naruto grinned for the thousandth time that day.

"You heard me speaking to my partners. When I engaged in a taijutsu fight with you, I planted a seal on you just in case I needed it. It costed me chakra, but it was worth it. You're done."- by now, Kakashi was almost finishing his seals. He was probably reading Zabuza's mind with a genjutsu. Speaking of which, Zabuza was now staggering to his knees, trying desperately to not be defeated by two stupid brats.

"Zabuza, the Demon. Defeated by children. I never thought I'd see that."- Tazuna commented. Sakura giggled.

"Our team is better than most. Now you understand why we were assigned to protect you?"- she replied.

"Shut your trap! I'll kill you all!"- Zabuza shouted. Kakashi finished his seals.

"No, you won't. Suiton: Suiryuudan no jutsu."- a large ammount of water began bubbling in the lake nearby and out of it came a water dragon, flying and spiraling in the air before shooting directly at Zabuza. The dragon hit Zabuza hard enough to push him back into the air, crash through a tree and slam against another tree before falling to the floor. Naruto slowly walked towards him. Zabuza was barely conscious from the impact as the jinchuuriki searched his pockets and took out a scroll.

"You...little...*huff*...shit..."- he managed to mutter. Naruto gave him no response as he opened the scroll it had seven circles drawn on it. Each had the sword that it contained's name. There was Nuibari, KubiKiriBocho, Samehada, Kiba, Hiramekarei, Kabutowari and Shibuki. The first one, the one that had Nuibari written on it, started glowing in a white light as Naruto made his chakra run through it. After a moment, a cloud of white smoke took place, but quickly dissipated, revealing a very thin sword that looked like a long, thin needle. The end of the sword's handle had an eye like a needle as well. If there was a sword perfect for piercing, it was Nuibari. Naruto quickly caught its handle and measured its weight.

"What a nice sword. Thanks Uncle Zabuza."- suddenly, three senbon appeared on Zabuza's neck, killing him. Three more came flying at Naruto who teleported to the kunai he had left next to Tazuna.

Standing next to Zabuza was a ninja wearing green clothes and a face mask that resembled Konoha's Anbu masks, except this one didn't mimick animals.

"Are you a Kiri hunter nin?"- Kakashi asked, gasping for air. The last jutsu had taken out a lot from him.

"Yes. I've been tracking Momochi Zabuza down for a year now. Thank you for weakening him down enough for me to make the kill."- she then turned to Naruto and pointed at the scroll.- "Those swords belong to Kirigakure. Return them at once and we'll have no problems."

"I'm keeping Nuibari, like it or not."- the blonde replied, reading himself for battle. The Kiri hunter-nin lowered her head, as if thinking about it before raising it again.

"Fine, you may keep Nuibari as compensation for helping with Zabuza's assassination and as a gift to reinforce the peace between our two villages. But you must hand over the rest. Samehada, Kiba, Kabutowari, Shibuki and Hiramekarei."- Naruto nodded to her response, rolled the scroll up and threw it at her. She stuck the scroll in a pocket and grabbed Zabuza's corpse.- "Now, I must dispose of the body. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."- and she disappeared. Kakashi turned to the genin and was about to say something before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Great, Tazuna-san, can you guide us while we carry him?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Land of Waves

"Uh...where am I?"- Kakashi muttered, waking up in a clean but small room with basic furniture and one mattress on the floor. The door opened to let a pretty woman in. She was wearing a pink shirt and a blue apron that reached her ankles.

"Oh, you are already up? I am Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter. You've been asleep for a week now, do you feel well?"- she quickly explained, answering most of his questions in a quick reply. _She might live in a mere piscatory village, but she's smart._ The jounin concluded.

"Yes, I feel just fine, thanks. I don't mean to be rude, but can you tell me why I wasn't woken?"- he asked, not believing the idea that Naruto did not try to shake him until he woke up. Tsunami put on the biggest smile she could have and giggled.

"We tried. Your blond student tried plenty of times. You just didn't wake up. He then decided to try and poke you with his thin sword, but your pink-haired student stopped him with a very strong punch."- Kakashi wanted to laugh at this. He couldn't count on his fingers the times that Naruto had his face punched in by Sakura. He took the sheets off of himself and stood up, having trouble in balancing himself for some moments.

"Can you tell me where they are? I need to have a talk with them."- he slowly walked out of the room, followed by Tsunami.

"They are all guarding the bridge while my father works there. It was the raven-haired boy's idea."- she quickly answered. He smirked. _That's just like Sasuke. Though I don't appreciate him ordering the others around, he did well._

He quickly walked out of the house, ignoring Tsunami's protests about how he hadn't eaten anything for so long. It was a small village, and the bridge was not hard to find at all. Naruto was standing at the entrance, wearing his normal black clothes but this time, with Nuibari on his back. It was placed vertically, as if crossing with the Fuma Shuriken's cross-like design. _That's so like Naruto, trying to show off and look like a badass._ The annoying thing was, he actually did look like a badass. A few meters behind the blond genin was Sasuke who was obviously trying really hard not to punch Sakura in the face for following him around. Kakashi approached Naruto.

"Naruto, has anyone attacked this last week? Anything suspicious? Report!"- he quickly ordered. Naruto smiled and unsheated Nuibari. The blade was covered in fresh blood. The genin then pointed behind him to the two corpses.

"Two idiots who thought they could threaten the workers went to meet their God after facing Nuibari. Besides that, nothing else. Glad to see you are recovered already, sensei. Tazuna-san says the building of the bridge will end in about one week. Sakura thinks it will take Zabuza about five days to recover, so we'll probably face him again with his little friend."- as they spoke, the Uzumaki approached his teammates, accompanied by Kakashi.

"So you three already know?"- the jounin asked. Sakura smiled.

"Naruto told us about it on the way to the Land of Waves. He read practically every single one of the books that are stored in the Konoha Library, and told us that hunter-nin only need the head of a missing-nin to prove their death. He also said that senbon can be used to stop the vital signs and fake death for a while."- although she was talking about something very dangerous, she showed no fear and kept smiling. _First Stage of Death: Denial._ Kakashi thought to himself. Sasuke scowled before smiling.

"This is like some damn movie. I bet that that guy is going to show up in the last day. So dramatic. I doubt things will be so easy this time. He now knows our capabilites and even has someone to help him."- the Uchiha commented as if he was dealing with something trivial. He seemed like a true shinobi, but it was obvious that he was also denying his feelings, just in a different way. To Kakashi, the only one that didn't show any sort of feeling regarding the incoming fight was Naruto. The stupid, pathetic little excuse for a ninja was facing two jounin level shinobi, one probably ANBU level, without a single trace of fear. The silver-haired jounin lowered his eyes until they met with the longsword._ That's it._

"Naruto, how are you feeling right now?"- he asked as if his student looked sick, and didn't realize it. The jinchuuriki looked up at him and smiled.

"Better than ever. Just knowing the fact that I'm going to kill those two, or maybe even crucify them and leave them to die makes me go wild! My blood is boiling! I can feel my kiling intent growing more and more!"- he replied, much to everyone's shock. Just who in the fuck was this kid? Kids were supposed to play football and enjoy their lives while they were innocent, and probably try to ignore the fact that someone had just died. But this one? He embraced it and craved for more! There was something wrong. Kakashi extend his arm and took a hold of the sword, snatching it from Naruto's grip.

"How about now?"- Naruto fell to his knees. His skin became paler and he coughed out a bit of blood.

"Damn, what's wrong with me? I felt trapped inside myself. I felt cold hatred take over me and I couldn't control my actions..."- he coughed out a bit more blood before falling to the side. Kakashi looked at him with pity.

"Every single one of the Kirigakure's Seven Legendary Swordsmen's Swords has a specific characteristic. KubiKiriBocho has the power to reconstruct itself with the iron of its victims' blood. Nuibari has the ability to sew your enemies together or to something else. That, you knew. But they also have a drawback. Not everyone can wield these swords because they eat away at your soul and fill it with the combined dark feelings, thoughts and intentions of its former users. It is extremely hard to resist it and maintain your mind intact. If you fail to do so, its dark properties will eat you from the inside and you will become sick."- he explained, watching as Naruto barely managed to stay awake.- "You can go to sleep, someone like you will probably wake up in an hour. It is ok though, I wanted to give each of you training this week anyway."

Later that day, Naruto woke up in the middle of a field, not quite sure of where he was. He could hear sounds of heavy breathing and hits being delivered, and so, he quickly rose up to his feet. _Zabuza?No, it's too early to be him._ He reached for his back, but didn't find Nuibari there. _Kakashi probably took it. _He looked around to see a pretty girl picking weeds. She looked up at him and smiled.

"So you're awake. I'm sorry if I woke you up. I tried not to."- she quickly excused herself. Naruto smiled back at her.

"Don't worry, I woke up on my own. Why are you picking weeds?"- he quickly asked her. She placed the ones she had on her hands in a basket before looking back up.

"A friend of mine is hurt, so I am picking up the required weeds to help him. These ones for example are used to accelerate the blood circulation and thus accelerate the healing process."- she showed him a bunch of weird leaves. Naruto thought about it for a second and then smiled. _So you are the hunter-nin, huh?_ She stood up and turned around to walk away.- "I have to go now, I've picked what I needed."

"Wait, since you know a bit about healing abilities, do you have something that could give me a bit of extra energy for my practice?"- hearing this, she stopped and turned around before smiling again. She approached Naruto and placed her right index finger on his heart.

"Think of someone you love or cherish. True strength comes from wanting to protect people that are important to you. I know that from personal experience."- she said before kissing his forehead and walking away again.- "Thinking of someone important to you shouldn't be very hard. Someone as handsome as you must attract people anyway."

Hearing this, Naruto was confused for a second. When she was out of sight, he walked up to the sounds he had heard earlier. He came out of the trees to find Sasuke dodging a bunch of shuriken before spitting a fireball at Kakashi who was hit but turned into a log. Naruto quickly threw a kunai at the Kakashi that was appearing behind Sasuke.

"Too easy!"- his sensei proclaimed as he deflected it with a kunai of his own. Naruto's kunai went up, spinning like a shuriken. Naruto disappeared after smirking at Kakashi. Realizing his mistake, the sensei ran through handseals and spat three fire flares at Naruto, but he was already gone. Sealed kunais were scattered all over the field. Naruto seemed like a flash.- "Shit!"

"Take this!"- Naruto kept jumping from one kunai to the other, punching Kakashi before he had a chance to retaliate. All he could do was block.

"Here!"- Sasuke spat three flares of his own, distracting Kakashi enough to have Naruto punch him square in the face, sending him tumbling back. Naruto teleported to a knife next to Sasuke and they fistbumped.

"Nice synch."- the jinchuuriki complimented him. The Uchiha scowled as if it was nothing. By now Kakashi was to his feet, rubbing his left cheek.

"Your teamwork has improved. But never let your guard down!"- he disappeared in a white smoke cloud, only to appear behind them, hands performing seals. A loud but melodic sound was heard, as if someone had decided to play the flute. Kakashi stopped and dropped, kneeling as if he had just been hit. His two arms stretched out to the sides, as if he was crucified.

"Matenki: Mugen Onsa!"- Sakura's voice was heard before the playing began again. Kakashi's right eye was wide open, as if he was feeling the most intense pain.

"GAAAAAAAH!"- he yelled. In his eyes, his right arm was melting, the bone breaking in several different spots. His left arm was being twisted around, tendons and muscles ripping apart. Finally, a second Kakashi that was standing right in front of him pierced through his torso with a spike, causing him further agony.

Some bushes rustled as Sakura came walking out of her hide place. She grabbed a kunai and placed it against Kakashi's throat.

"We win, sensei!"- she said, winking and smiling as she released him from the genjutsu. Kakashi stood up and quickly grabbed his arms and torso, making sure they didn't melt or get penetrated by a spike. He then hid the only visible part of his face in shame.

"I can't believe you three got me with such a basic strategy. Alright, you pass basic training. Now that Naruto's awake, I'll have you all train your specialties. Sakura, you don't have much chakra but you are intelligent and have great chakra control. Genjutsu are perfect for you, seeing how you controlled the one I taught you earlier. Let's make this a game, you go out in the woods and cast the smaller genjutsu I taught you on animals to paralyze them and then capture them. 10 animals will give you a C, 20 animals will give you a B, 25 an A and 30 an S rank. You have two hours."- he quickly explained. Sakura couldn't hold her excitement as she took a hold of her new flute and ran into the woods. Naruto scratched his head unconfortably as if something wasn't really right. _Sakura-chan, using genjutsu?_- "Naruto, you'll be training with Nuibari. First, just hold it and try to keep the dark thoughts and intentions from taking over you. When you can do that easily, start mixing the sword in your White Crow attacks. You also have two hours for today. Go."

"Alright sensei!"- he quickly ran off before turning around and coming back to Kakashi, a dumb look on his face.- "Can you give me Nuibari, sensei?"

"You're hopeless. Sasuke, I'll be teaching you some things about ninjutsu and some ninjutsu as well."- the jounin replied as he handed Nuibari over to the jinchuuriki. As soon as he grasped it, he felt a cold sting on his arm. _Fuck me, it's already attacking! But hell no, I am not going to let some stupid piece of metal take over the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune! I AM DARKNESS YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!_

With this, he forced the killing intentions to go back into the blade with his willpower alone. The cold stings still came from time to time, but he mastered it anyway. He rose and approached Kakashi who had his left hand covered in lightning.

"Hey, ero-sensei, I can control Nuibari now. How can I use it with my attacks?"- he asked. Kakashi looked at him with a tick mark forming on his forehead.

"E-Ero sensei? What the hell do you mean?"- the jounin asked him back. Naruto laughed and merely pointed at the book he was holding on his right hand.- "That is Icha Icha, a romantic story, not sex!"

"It's porn in books, Kakashi-sensei."- Sakura said, approaching him to drop the fifteenth animal before going back into the woods. Thirty minutes had passed since they began the training. Sasuke scowled.

"Yeah Kakashi, it's porn."- he agreed. The jounin simply facepalmed, sighed and turned to the jinchuuriki.

"What do you want anyway?"- he asked, exasperated.

"I've finished my Nuibari training. How do I implement it in my White Crow attacks?"- he asked again. Kakashi thought for a moment before snapping his fingers as if an idea had just struck him. He pointed at the kunai.

"Why don't you place a seal on it just like the kunai? Then you can use it just like the kunai. But you can also implement in the Drill Peck to increase piercing power."- he replied. Naruto quickly got excited and went back to his business.

"Zabuza is so screwed..."

**Alright guys, I know this chapter sucked. I am going to make the next one better to compensate. It's just that school has been taking a lot out of me and personal life isn't going well either. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Bridge Showdown

"Tazuna-san, is the bridge nearly done or what?"- the jinchuuriki asked as they left the builder's house to head for the construction site. The old engineer waited a few moments before snapping his fingers, finishing his calculations.

"I believe it will be done tomorrow before lunch."- he answered. Naruto smiled and picked up the pace, confusing the others.

"Why so hasty? Do you have a date?"- Kakashi jokingly asked, barely taking his eyes off of his beloved Icha Icha.

"Zabuza is healed by now, so he probably will be on the bridge waiting for us today. Can't wait to use my new techniques against him!"- at this response, a sudden realization struck the others.

The kid was right, it was the day Zabuza would be fully recovered. Were they really prepared to face Zabuza and his hunter-nin friend? Sakura had been taught a new genjutsu after getting a S in Kakashi's game, a nd had become adept with her flute. Sasuke had been learning Chakra Nature control and was developing a Raiton jutsu. Kakashi taught him an easy one, but it wasn't that strong. And finally, Naruto had developed a lot. Nuibari couldn't control him at all anymore and was now sealed, providing him with yet another teleport exit. He had also managed to include it into many of his attacks. Though his fighting style now looked like some weird death acrobatic dance, it was extremely deadly. He had also included meters of ninja wire in order to use it as it was meant. He could now stitch bundles of bodies together or crucify them separately.

"Sometimes I wonder if you still have a brain, Naruto! Zabuza fighting us is a bad thing!"- Sakura quickly said, a tick mark on her forehead. She envied the jinchuuriki's power and confidence. She felt safe with her genjutsu, but deep down, she knew she still relied on her two teammates if it came to close battle.

"Brain? His dictionary does not have that word in it."- Sasuke commented, joining the argument. Naruto smiled and turned to face him while walking backwards.

"And yet I still beat the crap out of you in our fight. That makes you worse than brainless!"- he replied. Sasuke laughed and they engaged in a verbal battle, trading insults not too foul but not too innocent. Kakashi looked behind him at the pair and rose an eyebrow as if he could not believe his eyes. _Could it be that they are bonding?_

To the others' satisfaction, they quickly arrived at the bridge, putting a stop to the fight. It was almost finished as only a bit of it was missing to unite the two halves. Immediately they found something weird. The place was silent and the workers were all lying on a pile of bodies. As they approached, a mist took place.

It wasn't very thick as they could easily see through it, but it was obviously present. The three genin didn't even wait for Kakashi's command and quickly established a formation around Tazuna while the jounin examined the bodies.

"They are all alive, they are just knocked out. Stay on formation."- the kneeling jounin ordered before standing up.- "Zabuza, where are you? Come on out!"

"Kakashi, are you nervous? Is the mimicking monkey getting worried? You should be. Today it's going to be fair and fucking square. Haku will make sure your brats won't intervein."- Zabuza said, approaching several meters in front of them, both of his hands on the hunter-nin's shoulders, as if he was Haku's parental figure.- "Won't you, Haku?"

"Of course, Zabuza-san. I will d what you say for I want your dreams to become true."- Haku answered in a feminine voice. Zabuza smiled, satisfied and pointed at blond jinchuuriki as if telling the dog to hunt.

"Very good, that boy right there is your main target. Bring Nuibari back when it's over. He's really quick, so he might be a fun game for you."- and with that, Haku started spinning so fast that she became a blur. A bunch of senbon came out of said blur, all aimed at Naruo who just unsheathed Nuibari and deflected all of them effortlesly. Haku got closer, Naruto smirked and threw Nuibari up, waited for Haku to get closer, teleported to the legendary sword and fell, kicking Haku who barely managed to block before backflipping and getting on all fours in a desperate attempt to stop the momentum. When she managed to do so, a costume kunai with three points was already flying by her head, Naruto was already teleporting there, and Haku was kicked again. Only this time, she couldn't block and went tumbling back.

"Like my speed, weed-picker?"- Naruto asked as Haku quickly got to her feet. The mask she was wearing prevented it from showing, but Naruto knew she was surprised. A handful of Icy senbon grew out of her hand.- "What's that?"

"This is my Kekkei Genkai, Hyoton. You have impressive speed, so I'll have to balance it with this."- she threw the senbon. They were much faster than normal senbon, and hard to deflect as they were thinner. Naruto quickly teleported to another kunai and started spinning, creating a big drill that was directed at Haku. Naruto held Nuibari in front of himself as he spun, making his Drill Peck that much more destructive. Haku barely avoided sure disaster by jumping up. Naruto stopped spinning and smirked as Sasuke ran through handseals.

"Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!"- a huge fireball was spat at the airborne Haku who quickly performed handsigns, finishing with a weird tora handseal variation.

"Hyoton: Makyo Hyosho."- a mirror quickly formed, condensating the air's humidity until it froze. Another mirror was formed behind them and unbelieveably, Haku entered the first and teleported to the second.

"What the?"- she was inches away from Naruto's neck when the latter teleported to another kunai. He looked back, seeing a standing Haku, forming a bunch of mirrors in a circle, covering the blindspots. With her speed, it could become a cage. A cage Sasuke was trapped inside. Naruto quickly marked the back of each mirror with a sealed kunai as a precaution before teleporting to the kunai that was inside the circle. _Bad timing._

"You fell for it!"- Haku exclaimed as the mirrors shined with blinding light before the senbon rain began.

Meanwhile

"Today's predictions, misty with a chance of ice needles."- Zabuza taunted. Kakashi was trying to detect him, and the pink-haired girl kept a close watch on the bridge builder. She looked fragile, but the flute on her hand and her face expression showed how dangerous she was. _That flute, shinobi only take instruments to battles to use it with genjutsu. Sound genjutsu are the worse because it is really hard to block the sound. I get caught on her genjutsu and it is all over._

"What is going on in there?"- Tazuna asked, looking at the cage. Kakashi uncovered his left eye, revealing the Sharingan.

"Naruto and Sasuke are being showered by senbon made of...chakra?"- the jounin couldn't believe his eyes. In all his years of being a ninja he had never seen something like this. The two genin were barely avoiding some of the attacks and already had senbon sticking out of their bodies. _If this goes on, they'll surely die._

"Haku. Such a treasure. You know how she was when I met her, Kakashi? Hopeless. Just a girl in ripped clothes that flared not interest. Until I saw her make water float around with no effort at all. I asked her to show me everything she knew. She showed me Hyoton, the Ice element. I trained her from then on, and boy, she is stronger than me. Your kids have no chance against her Ice needles."- Zabuza quickly explained with sadistic pleasure, thinking of how Haku would choose to kill the kids.

"Kakashi-sensei, shouldn't we do something?"- Sakura asked, now worried about her two teammates. The jounin smiled.

"Zabuza, you are an idiot. Underestimating the two brats is something you've done before and look at what happened. You got your stupid ass handed over to you. Sasuke is one of the few surviving members of the Uchiha clan and a genius. He is twelve years old yet he already knows two chakra elements. And the other one is from the Uzumaki clan, one of the most powerful clans in existence."- Kakashi replied with the smile still on his face.- "Zabuza, don't you feel like you know something about that jutsu of Naruto's?"

"Wait, that's the Yondaime's jutsu! Don't tell me that kid is the fucking son of-"- Zabuza realized as Kakashi smiled.

"Yep. He's Minato Namikaze's offspring."- Kakashi revealed.

Meanwhile In the Cage

"Impossible! No one can dodge all of my senbon!"- Haku shouted as Naruto vanished only to appear seconds later, unharmed. Sasuke was dodging all of them skillfully, not even one scratch on him besides the senbon he had before. His eyes were red and had two tomoe that seemed like they were spinning around each other. _Kekkei Genkai?_ Haku thought to herself.

"Naruto, we need to finish this quickly!"- Sasuke alerted as he felt his chakra dissipating. The Sharingan was amazing, but the chakra it costed was off the roof. They either finished it quickly or the Uchiha would pass out. Naruto smirked and measured Nuibari. He quickly took out a roll of ninja wire and tied it around the sword's eye.

"No worries, you've got your new katon jutsu ready?"- he asked, crouching in order to simply spring off and have more momentum.

"Yes. Ready?"- Sasuke asked. Naruto simply nodded. Haku appeared on all of the mirrors at the same time.

"You cannot destroy these mirrors with simple Katon. And if you think I will simply let you end me, you are wrong. I live to fulfill Zabuza-san's dream and if his dream is killing you two, that's what I am going to do!"- she gripped her senbon and again, ice needles rained down on them. Naruto teleported from one kunai to another. He too was starting to feel his chakra weakening. Sasuke simply dodged them again, but this time, he took a few scrapes. Naruto was running out of the cage, but Haku quickly teleported to the closest mirror and threw senbon at him.

"You fell for it."- and he quickly disappeared, appearing behind one of the cage's mirrors. He used Nuibari to close the cage with wire, teleporting from one kunai to another and quickly covering them with said wire. He then quickly threw Nuibari inside the cage and teleported to it. He quickly cut the wire and handed it to Sasuke.- "Do it!"

"You cannot destroy the mirrors with fire!"- Haku repeated, confused at the seals that Sasuke was making. _Snake, Dragon, Rabbit, Tiger. Oh no, this is..._

"KATON: RYUUKA NO JUTSU!"- the Uchiha yelled before he was enveloped by intense flames that quickly ran through the wire and enveloped the cage.

"..."- _so that is what the wire was for..._ Haku thought to herself. The temperature was so high one could confuse it with hell. Haku quickly ran through handseals. _Boar, Ram, Hare, Tiger, Dragon, Snake, Tiger!_- "Hyoton: Furizu!"

"What the?"- the katon jutsu's fire started freezing and became completely white and blue, freezing at such a speed that even the flames that were just coming out of Sasuke's mouth froze. The Uchiha quickly cut the chakra flow and jumped away. This didn't go well as Haku appeared behind him and made a pincoushion out of the boy. The wound wasn't lethal though. Sasuke stumbled back and was impaled with the sharp spear that the fire's beginning had become. Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. Sasuke...dead? The Uchiha coughed out blood before bowing his head forward.

"N-Naruto...D-Don't let your dreams die..."- and he fell forward, his head hitting the ground with a thud. Naruto didn't know what to feel. Loss, Despair, Sadness, Anger, Killing Intent, Sadism, Wrath... All of those overwhelmed. Nuibari's cold sting took over him and he became filled with killing intention. The air around him revolved and black chakra became visible. Apparently, Blue, Red and Gray chakra don't mix well together and quickly became foul energy.

"What...?"- Haku had never been so scared in her life. _Chakra can't be seen, yet this is clearly visible! What is this boy?_ Naruto turned to face her, his pupils becoming slits and his teeth growing. He gripped Nuibari and ran at the shinobi, so fast that one would think he had teleported. _I can sense the killing intent, the blood lust. It's of a demon! This is no longer a child!_ She quickly teleported to another mirror, leaving the one she had been in before shattered as Naruto simply punched it. _His strength grows every second, I must attack now! NOW!_ She appeared above him, ready to strike him down. But the jinchuuriki disappeared! He simply disappeared! She felt something coming behind her, and turned her head to face the strongest punch she had ever felt in her whole life. She went flying, crashing through one of her mirrors and tumbling through the ground.

Two minutes later, she barely managed to stand up. Her face mask was cracked in half and falling._ I'm sorry Zabuza-san. I am no match for this boy. Zabuza-san, I'm sorry I couldn't be your tool._ Naruto was running, ferocious blood lust emanating from him._ Zabuza-san, thank you for rescuing me, thank you for caring for me when no one else did._ He was now inches away, Nuibari ready to take its next victim._ Zabuza-san, please meet me in Heaven._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Those Who Go to Heaven

"...huh?"- the jinchuuriki muttered, regaining consciousness. He could hear two different voices speaking, and so decided to eavesdrop. One definitely belonged to Kakashi, and the other belonged to...Zabuza? Were they still on the bridge?

"Kakashi, I'm telling you, keep an eye on that kid. He looked like a reincarnated Kushimaru Kuriarara on that bridge. Shit, he gave me the chills."- the assassin spoke. Fear could be felt in those last words.

Naruto slightly opened his eyes to see he was in the same room in Tazuna's house that Kakashi had been resting in. He tilted his head to the side. Haku was there, asleep. The girl was obviously naked, despite being covered with white sheets. Her face looked bruised, and despite the blood spot on the sheets that covered her torso, she looked fine. He took that moment to see just how pretty she was. She wasn't as pretty and cute as Hinata, but she was still beautiful. Her long dark hair wasn't constrained in a bun now, and since she had no mask, he could look at her crimson lips and baby-like smooth skin.

Naruto smiled before turning his head again and seeing the most awkward and terrifying thing he had ever seen in his entire life. Momochi Zabuza and Hatake Kakashi calmly playing chess. There were so many things wrong with the picture that Naruto didn't know where to begin. The two didn't seem to notice that he was awake, and so, he decided to just play along.

"Since you're coming with us, you can do that yourself. But I know what you mean, the blow he delivered to Haku and the way he attacked that huge mob? Scary, to say the least."- the jounin replied, moving his horse and taking one of Zabuza's pawns. The rogue merely shrugged and took the horse with a bishop.- "Speaking of Haku, how is she?"

"She's tough. I admit that she was in a really bad state, but she'll be ok by the end of the week. She probably used Hyoton to stop most of the blood from falling out. How are your kids doing?"- Zabuza pointed at Naruto while watching his bishop get killed by a tower. He quickly moved his queen, placing a threat on the King.- "Check."

"Naruto comes from the Uzumaki clan and thus has a very strong life force. That dark chakra almost consumed him, but he hung on to life and should wake up soon. Sakura is ok and I sent her to guard the bridge again."- Kakashi replied, performing the Roque technique and saving his king from sure death. Zabuza smiled, as if knowing Naruto would be ok conforted him.

"That girl is a devil with the flute. I feel sorry for any poor sap that tries his luck at the bridge today."- the rogue smiled, remembering how Sakura had put him under a torturing genjutsu when he tried to kill Tazuna.- "How about the Uchiha guy?"

"Luckily, the icycle didn't hit any vitals. The ice also helped him from not bleeding out. The only thing that's hurt is his pride."- Kakashi reached the edge of the table with a pawn and took his queen back, ready to unleash hell on Zabuza's pieces.

"To someone like him, that's probably the worse that could happen."- Zabuza quickly used his horse to take the reborn queen out.

"Yep, that's Sasuke for you. By the way, just out of curiosity, why do you want to ask for refuge at Konoha?"- Kakashi asked, disappointed with his plan's failure. Zabuza could be a crazed killer, but he was a hell of a chess player.

"I don't like being some mercenary, Kakashi. All I want is for my village, Kirigakure, to become a respected and peaceful village again. Yagura, the current Mizukage, is a fucking retard that starts rivalries with any village he finds on the map. Besides, I want Haku to live a normal life. The poor girl has gone through enough and has had more blood on her hands than most jounin do, yet she is still thirteen. I regret making her do it, and want to compensate."- Zabuza explained while cornering the King with a tower and a queen of his own. Kakashi couldn't believe it. Zabuza was a decent man after all. _Thank Kami I didn't use Raikiri and killed him._

It was then and there that Naruto decided to stop the show.

"Uh...what happened?"- the jinchuuriki asked as if he was waking up. Zabuza turned his head to face Naruto and rose an eyebrow.

"You don't remember? Really?"-he asked. Naruto focused really hard but didn't get much out of it.

"All I remember is being inches away from stabbing Haku. I lost consciousness by then."- he explained, crawling out of the bed. He was wearing his black clothes, and by the corner layed Nuibari, the Fuma Shuriken and his black jacket. Zabuza was preparing another game with Kakashi as he replied.

"Well, nothing that interesting. You just pierced through Haku with Nuibari as if she was nothing. Then, my employer and the one who corrupts this land, Gato, and about nine hundred thugs appeared, all armed. Your dark chakra enveloped you even more and you made special kunai scatter all around them, appearing from one place to another, throwing Nuibari and piercing through dozens at a time before grabbing Nuibari and pulling the wire, stitching all of those corpses together in a bundle."- Zabuza started the play by taking one of his horses out. Apparently, he wasn't fond of sacrificial moves with pawns. Kakashi quickly forward one pawn, making way for his left tower before smirking.

"That's nothing compared to what you did with Gato, though. You managed to crucify him with Nuibari on a lamp post. You didn't cut the wire, and simply forced your Raiton through it, electrocuting the business man to death before creating a little ball of concentrated dark chakra and exploding him to pieces."- his sensei explained as if it was the most common thing in the world. Naruto looked down at his hands, the hands that had caused such damage. _What the? So that's the power of Nuibari and Kyuubi fused together._ _Wait, concentrated chakra... I could make a jutsu out of that! Probably not so powerful right now, but hell, even a normal chakra variation would be devastating!_ _If I could figure out a way to mix my Raiton in as well, it could very well be my Ultimate Jutsu!_ _But this kind of thing is not easy to make, the sooner I start, the sooner I'll get it._

"Ok, I've got to go now!"- he quickly grabbed his jacket and weapons and almost flew out the door. Kakashi stopped him with a look.

"Oi, Oi, where are you going?"- the jounin asked, wondering what his happy-go-lucky student had in mind now.

"I've got an idea for a new jutsu! Got to try it out quickly."- and he was gone, leaving the two A-rank ninja wondering if he had teleported or just ran like a maniac.

The chess game went on for about ten minutes, not really deciding anything until one of the jounin realized what Naruto was talking about. _I talk to him about a concentrated mass of chakra and suddenly he's talking about a new jutsu? What could he possibly be talking about-_ And then it hit him.

"FUCK!"- Kakashi jumped from the chair and ran as fast as he could to the bridge. Zabuza just sat there, dumbfounded.

"I can see this is going to be interesting."- he muttered to himself before chuckling.- "What was he so worried about anyway? He was talking about a concentrated mass of chakra and using it against the enemy-"- he shutted up then and there. If the kid would try to replicate the jutsu, something could go wrong and he could end up blowing the entire village to Kingdom come!- "FUCK!"

It wasn't even a minute later when Zabuza reached the bridge to see a terrified Kakashi trying to carefully approach Naruto, who was holding a blue sphere of chakra in his right hand.

"Naruto, cut the chakra flow to that quickly. You're putting everyone on this bridge in danger!"- Kakashi demanded, trying not to look too scared. Naruto nodded, but his face looked desperate for help.

"I know that I have to do that! Easier said than done! I have to cut the chakra flow and contain it at the same time otherwise it will blow!"- he replied. The ball of chakra was spinning furiously, ready to destroy anything that its creator wanted it to. Naruto tried to cut the chakra flow, but it didn't work and the sphere started to expand. Kakashi quickly kicked Naruto's hand, causing the jutsu to get out of control and explode, sending them flying away. Kakashi merely rolled back and most of the others weren't affected except for the sudden rush of wind. Naruto wasn't so lucky, however, as he went flying against a tree.- "Gah..."

"Naruto! Are you ok?"- Sakura quickly hurried over to him. Apparently, she didn't care about looking dumb. She was actually worried about him.

"Y-Yeah... That kind of hurt though. I see why no one has tried this already."- he replied, standing up, holding his right leg that had twisted in a weird way when he fell. Sasuke simply sighed and walked up to him, took his right arm, put it around his neck and helped him walk.

"Seriously, you are such a pain."- the Uchiha said as he carried his comrade around. Kakashi followed them.

"Naruto, you idiot. You could have just asked about it first. Your father had already developed a jutsu like that. One you can actually control. Once we get back to the village, I'll teach it to you."- the jounin quickly told him. Zabuza smirked. Kakashi had managed to explain something to Naruto, make him excited about it and prevent him from trying anything stupid again at the same time. _No wonder he is in the bingo book._

Their leave was not silent. Every single villager insisted in throwing a party for them and thanking them personally. Naruto could not count how many times he was promised eternal friendship and gratitude. When the bridge was completely done, they even called it "The Great Naruto Bridge".

Of course, Zabuza and Haku didn't get any of those privileges. They were the ones that spread the terror after all. But no one resented them for it. By now, it had been made public how Gato betrayed them and how it hadn't been anything personal. Apparently, if it hadn't been for Zabuza, Naruto would have gone wild and probably would hurt innocent people. He knew just how to control the Seven Legendary Blades' side effect, and quickly drained Naruto of the dark chakra.

As they left the village, Naruto felt strange. It was as if even though he was really tired and even hurt, he felt a whole lot stronger. Not just because of his new chakra, his new sword or his new skills. Also because of the people he met. It made him understand that the shinobi life was not all fun and games, and that in order to become the strongest of all time, a lot of sacrifices had to be made, a lot of horrible decisions had to be taken and a lot of injustices had to be faced.

_ I, Uzumaki Naruto, promise today that I will become a strong ninja and that even in the darkest of times I will not lose myself or my ninja way!_

(I know this one was pretty small guys, but I was exhausted when I wrote it. Next one will be longer.)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Hurtful Truth and a Hard Decision

"Ramen, Ramen, Ramen!"- the excited jinchuuriki delightfully squealed as he ran towards Ichiraku's, ready to empty old Teuchi's stick. Team 7 simply sighed, not really surprised. Zabuza laughed and Haku smiled,shrugging.

"Who can blame him? He's just a genin, yet he went on an A-rank mission without even realizing it, managed to defeat two chuunin, defeated Zabuza and me, destroyed nine hundred thugs and killed a corrupt and evil businessman, saving a whole country and getting a bridge named after him. In my opinion, he deserves all the ramen he wants."- she said. Everyone nodded as they stepped inside the village. Not two seconds later, they were stopped by an ANBU team. The captain, a woman with purple hair, stepped forward.

"Hatake Kakashi, you step into the village with a wanted rogue nin and his wanted follower. What's the meaning of this? Have you forgotten the oath you took?"- she judged as the ANBU team got ready for a fight. In response, Zabuza unsheated KubiKiriBocho and Haku grew Ice senbon out of her right hand.

"Yare,yare. It's ok, Yugao. Zabuza and Haku are seeking refuge in Konoha. They need an audience with the Hokage. They will not attack unless you attack first."- the silver-haired jounin calmly said before turning his face to the Kirigakure Demon.- "Isn't that right, Zabuza?"

"Kill-fun. But yeah, we won't do anything unless you chumps do."- he replied, carefully sheathing KubiKiriBocho. Haku's needles simply fell to the ground, almost instantly melting. The ANBU captain thought for a bit before turning to one of her colleagues and whispering something to his ear. The other one nodded before disappearing with the body flicker jutsu. She then turned her face back to them.

"My brother of the ANBU is going to see if the Hokage is available and willing. If he is, a piece of advice. Keep your weapons sheathed and do not try anything funny or I guarantee you will find yourself in more pieces than usual."- the other appeared again and nodded. She nodded back.- "Are we clear?"

"Fine with me, but that was a terrible attempt at scaring us. Sakura would have done a better job."- Zabuza taunted, walking past Yugao and leaving her unable to retaliate. Haku chuckled and followed him. _Good old Zabuza-san._ She thought to herself as she was used to the rogue nin's attitude.

Minutes later they arrived at the Hokage's office. Again, they were stopped by his personal bodyguards, but as soon as they received confirmation, they steered clear of the way. Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, Zabuza and Haku entered, not really surprising the Hokage.

"Let me guess, you two are seeking refuge in Konoha."- Hiruzen started, confusing the odd team. Zabuza laughed.

"You are pretty cunning, old man. You would be a worthy opponent in chess."- the rogue replied with a smile on his face. The Hokage facepalmed and pointed at one of the ANBU that protected him.

"No, maybe I knew because the ANBU told me so. Whatever, though. You two may live in Konoha for as long as you keep your nose clean and don't cause any trouble. You also can not leave the village without my consent. Are we clear?"- Zabuza was surprised. An old man had just made a fool out of him. Kakashi was trying very hard not too laugh. That old Hokage had always been a troll. Haku chuckled.

"We are clear, Hokage-sama. Thank you for taking us under your wing to join your flock. Now, please excuse me as I remove my partner from the building before he decides that it is a good idea to attack you."- and with that, Haku gripped Zabuza and dragged him away from the room, preventing him from killing anyone and getting themselves killed as a result. When the door slammed behind them, the old Hokage turned his head to the team after sighing. He stared at them for a bit.

"What?"- he asked as if he had no idea what they were there for. Kakashi facepalmed, coughed and extended his arm, presenting his hand as if asking for something.- "You leeches. Fine, you'll get your money for an A-rank mission. Happy? Where's Naruto?"

"The dobe is already at Ichiraku's, filling himself with ramen."- Sasuke replied as he received his money. Sakura nodded.

"Let's all hope he eats enough to kill himself."- she added. Sasuke smirked, Sarutobi sighed and Kakashi did nothing because he had his now rich nose stuffed into Icha Icha again. The door slammed again.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but no, I survived. Hey gee-san!"- Naruto walked into the room and approached the Hokage with a big smile on his face. The Hokage quickly handed the money over, smiling. Apparently, the blonde jinchuuriki was the only person that could make him smile after all those years.

"Hey Naruto! I heard from a messenger that you had a whole lot of fun in your mission!"- he commented. Naruto chuckled and nodded.

"Yup, even though it was tiring and hurtful, this mission was awesome, can't wait for more A-ranks. Anyway, I'm learning a new jutsu and everything because of it!"- Naruto replied, as excited as one could get.

"Well, I hope it was really that fun and worth it, because you..."- the Hokage took out a black book.- "... ARE NOW OFFICIALLY WANTED! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO? OH WAIT, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID, YOU MURDERED NINE HUNDRED AND ONE PEOPLE IN THE GRUESOMEST WAY POSSIBLE! YOU KNOW YOU ARE THE KYUUBI'S JINCHUURIKI AND YET YOU BRING ALL THIS ATTENTION TO YOURSELF! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR GOAL?"

"Hey, I didn't do that consciously! It was the mix of the Kyuubi's and Nuibari's killing intent! I couldn't do a thing!"- he quickly excused himself. The Hokage was ready to punch the jinchuuriki's face in when a really odd lightbulb appeared over Naruto's head.- "Oh right, I wanted to talk to you when I got back, remember?"

"What does that have to do with anything? We have a problem here!"- he couldn't believe it. Actually, he did, but he refused to accept that the Yondaime, someone who was even more powerful than him, had had a son so stupid. Naruto shrugged and just disregarded it as if it was nothing but trivial.

"I don't care. I heard my mom left me something. Something she entrusted to you."- he said, taking out one of his dad's kunai. The Hokage gasped, surprised that Naruto had learned of its existence. He quickly recomposed himself.

"These matters are to be discussed privately. Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, please leave since you've gotten what you came here for. Kage, Baku, you must leave as well."- the Hokage ordered. Team 7 quickly left, and after a moment of hesitating, his bodyguards left as well. The Hokage sighed once again before sitting down and pointing the chair in front of him, commanding Naruto to sit. He then took on a thoughtful look, as if trying to decide what to say.- "Do you know anything about it? Anything at all?"

"Well, people might think I am stupid, but I'm not. My father left me his Hiraishin jutsu, stopping it from simply disappearing. I guess that what my mother has left me has something to do with my lost clan."- he responded. The Hokage was surprised that the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki had some brainpower after all. He smiled and stood up, headed to a closet inside of the office, released the seal and took out a huge red scroll. He lifted the scroll with impressive strength and placed it on the table before sitting down again.

"This, is the Uzumaki's clan last testimony. Your mother left it to you because she believed you could represent the Uzumaki's full power."- he explained, a smile on his face as he remembered the day Kushina gave him the scroll so he could later give it to her son. Naruto, however, was not happy at all.

"Oh really? Tell me something. Out of everyone in the Uzumaki clan, a baby was the best contender for this scroll? You're not telling me everything, gee-san, and that is pissing me off!"- he quickly exclaimed, scaring the Hokage and making him sad as he realized there was no way to avoid what was coming. _I should have guessed, though. Sooner or later this had to happen. Better sooner, I guess._

"Ok, I guess I owe you that much."- the Hokage took a deep breath before talking again.- " The Uzumaki clan, is no more. It is pretty much unknown these days, as you are the only known alive member. It used to be one of the greatest clans ever, competing with the Uchiha. They were famous for their sealing jutsus, better than any other. These techniques were feared so much, that Uzushiogakure, the village of the Land of Eddies, the village that the Uzumaki came from, was destroyed."

"Destroyed... How was my clan's relationship with Konoha?"- Naruto asked. The Hokage smiled then.

"Very good. Great grief was felt when we received the news, and in your clan's honour, we implemented your clan's symbol, a whirlpool, in our uniforms."- he explained, and before Naruto could ask, he explained what the scroll was for.- " This scroll indicates how many Uzumaki alive members exist, and their names. It also includes the clan's techniques and history. It may include other things, but that I wasn't told about."

"I see."- the blonde jinchuuriki felt his emotions burning up inside him. His clan, his family, destroyed. Burned to ashes just because of fear. What could he do, though? He was just some kid that had become a ninja weeks before. What he should do was lay down and forget about it. _No. I will bring back the fear. I will destroy the ones who destroyed my clan. I will make every foul soul twitch in fear when they hear the Uzumaki name!_

He took the scroll. And using the leather belt that was attached to it, he attached it to his back. He turned around and walked away. The Hokage could easily understand. He needed time for himself. But the jinchuuriki was known for being unpredictable, and therefore could not be reliable. So he decided to do what he could.

"What are you going to do, Naruto?"- the Hokage asked. Naruto stopped, tightning his fist and grinding his teeth.

"I will bring the Uzumaki's glory and reputation back, and I will rebuild my clan and village. I will find out who caused the destruction of them and I will get my revenge. I will put the souls of my fallen kin to rest."- it was a hurtful truth that his clan was shredded to pieces and that he was probably the only living member, but it only made his hard decision easier. He was no idiot. Uzushiogakure had been destroyed in war time, and Konoha knew of the threat. They probably just decided not to act because of their own safety. _Fucking cowards._ He had to choose. Just lay his vengeance down the guilty ones, or making the Konoha villagers pay and suffer for being all happy and jolly at the cost of his relatives' lives, without even knowing of it. He thought of his mother, Kushina Uzumaki and how she had probably suffered from the clan's demise. Then, he thought of the people of Konoha. Most had despised him, but some, like Ayame, Teuchi, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Iruka and Kakashi had accepted him and recognized him as a person. They didn't deserve to be mistreated because of other's mistakes. His thoughts finally stopped on Hinata. The beautiful girl that inspired him and that had kissed him, the girl that he was inlove with. She lived in Konoha. _Not a hard decision at all. I'm not those villagers, I don't make people pay for something others have done. I will kill the responsible ones and let the rest live, though not in ignorance. I swear on it, or my name isn't Naruto!_

"..."- the Hokage simply stared as Naruto walked out of the door. He had expected him to have a strong reaction, but not like this. But there was no doubt about it, Naruto had just resigned from being a Konohian. Was he serious about reconstructing Uzushiogakure? There were many doubts in the Hokage's head, doubts that were wiped away from his attention when he turned his head to the paperwork he had to fill out before noon.- "Let's get to it then..."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Chuunin Shiken

New, exotic people. Happiness and awkwardness, normal and weird. That was what the Chuunin Shiken meant.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, and to prevent a shotgun shell to the face, following the fate of my former colleague, I'll rewind the tape a bit.

It had been two weeks since Kakashi had told them about the Shiken and they made him sign them in. The Shiken was an exam divided into three parts, designed to separate the diamond from the rough and see which Genin deserved to be Chuunin.

The exam's first part was the written exam, designed to test the Genin's knowledge, or, if they lacked it, the ability to obtain information. It was a Chuunin Shiken Phase, so it wasn't that easy. The Written Exam was made to psychologically torture the students. Not just that alone, their examiner would be Morino Ibiki, the legendary interrogator that was known for liking to make his victims suffer from pressure and stress. Only the strongest in willpower would be able to go through it unscathed.

The Second Phase was normally a mission simulation. They were given an objective and a time limit. The ones who fulfilled it would pass to the Third Phase. Kakashi, though, told them not to take the Second Phase lightly since it was never an easy challenge. He told them that they were sent to an extremely dangerous place to fulfill an extremely dangerous task, and a lot of Genin had died on it. It was considered the hardest Phase of the Chuunin Shiken.

Finally, the Third Phase involved one-on-one combat. By now, the numbers had been shortened enough and only the elite Genins would still be qualified. Many died in this Phase as well, since the ones that were part of it were the ones with the most effective and deadly skills.

For these reasons, only the most experienced and talented Genins of the participant villages took part in the exam as well, and only the most experienced and talented of those would make Chuunin. Kakashi was reluctant, but his students had just completed an A-rank mission and therefore wouldn't take a "no" for an answer.

As a result, the three students had taken on an Intense Training (notice the capitals). Actually, Intense (again, notice the capitals) would be a complete understatement. Maito Gai himself would have cried youth-lacking tears of pain and miserableness if he would have done a tenth they did in those two weeks.

Sasuke spent every second he was awake with Kakashi in a training that only they knew about. Whatever it was, it was so hard and tough that Sasuke's cheekbones could be seen easily. He now wore the a shirt like he had before except now it was black, and he had bandages on his arms as well. His ninja pants had also been traded for black ones. Anyway, the training wa so Intense that Mikoto said he would pass out on the floor as soon as he arrived home. Poor Sasuke.

Sakura had taken a liking for hanging out with Team 8. Kurenai Yuhi was more than glad to help the young Haruno with her blossoming affinity for genjutsu. Sakura now wore a pink jacket and bandages as pants, not changing anything else in her outfit. According to Kurenai, Sakura had as much skill with genjutsu as Uchiha Shisui at her age. Sakura didn't know who that was, but if he was an Uchiha, he had to be strong. The rest of the tracker team were also happy to help her with her Sensory abilities. Shino traded his knowledge for her tasteful salads, Kiba traded his instinct knowledge for every delicious food pill she could provide him with and Hinata helped her as much as she could in exchange for information on Naruto. Training with Kurenai, training with Shino, Kiba and Hinata, cooking bribes and getting intell on her blonde teammate took so much out of her that she constantly fell asleep at dinner, ending up with her face smeared with ramen. Poor Sakura.

Naruto hadn't been seen since he received the large scroll except for his daily routine of dining at Ichiraku's. Just like his teammates, his outfit had changed. He now wore dark baggy pants, a white t-shirt below an open black jacket with the Red Uzumaki symbol on the back. He also carried the Uzumaki scroll on the back, horizontally. He looked very determined about something, though no one knew why.

In fact, no one knew that at his young age of twelve, Naruto had mastered most of the complicated seals of the Uzumaki clan, and created many as well. The boy had always been worse than a retarded goldfish at ninjutsu, but he had always been great at riddles. Figuring out and using seals was a riddle, an art. It didn't really require special talent, only Imagination, Chakra and Intelligence, and the Jinchuuriki had more than enough of each of them.

As soon as he arrived at Konoha, Kakashi told him that he could not be his teacher, but that he knew someone who could, and had called them to become his mentor. That is how Naruto met Jiraiya, old pervert, writer of the adulterous Icha Icha series and, surprisingly, legendary Sannin.

Jiraiya had been taught by the Third Hokage himself, and had trained his, Naruto's, father, Minato Namikaze who later became the Fourth Hokage. The ero-Senin, a nickname that had been given to him by Naruto, knew many of the tactics his father used with Hiraishin no jutsu and even a technique invented by Minato himself, Rasengan.

This, Chakra Control, and the summoning of frogs techinque that Naruto thought hyper cool were the factors that composed the young Uzumaki's rigorous training. Needless to say, they were exhausting. Chakra Control was easy, except for the part of walking on water that he just couldn't get down. The Kuchyiose was a jutsu. That was pretty self-explanatory, and that was why Naruto was trying to tatoo a seal on his right palm to easen it up. It was working, but this "riddle" took him time. And then there was Rasengan. It was hard enough to make the chakra spin, but to add more chakra while containing it was insane. He was getting hang of it, but again, it took time.

With all this to do, he barely slept or ate. He was so tired that the Kyuubi inside him couldn't manage to talk. Poor Naruto.

And so Team 7 trained hard, sharpeninng their skills in order to be on par with the other village's promising Genin. They had heard that Genins would come from Otogakure, Sunagakure and Kumogakure, all villages that were ranked high in ninja strength. Even Otogajure, a village that had only been created a few years before.

But all that chatter apart, it was the day of the First Phase. The day of the mind wrecking, nerve-racking and nail-biting exam that promised the participants a whole lot of stress and psychological trauma.

And that was why Naruto was heading towards the Academy again. It wasn't a particularly long, but the glares and stink eyes he received from the villagers got tiring. He was just about to throw a kunai towards the Academy and teleport to it when he heard a yell. He quickly hurried over to see a ninja wearing a black full-body suit with an yellow and purple circle in front, a cat-like black hood with the Sunagakure forehead protector engraved and a bandage covered tool on his back standing over Konohamaru, a little boy that had claimed rivalry with Naruto long ago. The Uzumaki quickly thought _What would dad do?_ The answer was simple.

He threw a kunai at the thug, who looked up and catched it in mid-air, smirking. Naruto smirked back as he teleported to the kunai, spun and kicked the thug's surprised face, sending him flying away. Konohamaru quickly ran away,a shamed of having to be savedy by his rival.

"I told you so, Kankuro. Beating little kids is not taken lightly."- Naruto turned his head, realizing for the first time that the Sunagakure ninja was accompanied. The girl was tall and pretty and had her blonde hair tied into four ponytails. She wore a tight and very light purple dress that was made out of fishnet by the shoulders. She wore her forehead protector as a collar, like Hinata, and carried around a huge fan on her back just like her friend. Her face was shaped into a smirk that quickly turned into a blush as she looked at the handsome Genin in front of her. She was about to say something when Naruto threw a kunai behind him and disappeared, letting a puppet slash through the air with a hidden weapon. As the kunai passed over Kankuro's head, Naruto teleported to it, placing a hand on Kankuro's head and another on his back, inprinting a seal before teleporting back to the girl's side, surprising her.

"You little fuck!"- Kankuro shouted as he tried to manipulate the puppet into attacking Naruto again. However, nothing happened, and the puppeteer looked at his fingertips, realizing no chakra was coming out.- "What...?"

"Trying is useless. I've implanted a seal that completely blocks chakra emission, nullifying your chakra threads. A puppeteer's greatest weakness."- Naruto explained, smirking. Kankuro was so angry he couldn't even curse.- "Your smart companion is right, we don't take kindly to twerps hitting kids."

"I'm actually his sister...my name is Temari-"- she tried to reply.

"You little cock smoker! I'll end you!"- the puppeteer shouted his pointless threats as Naruto laughed his ass off.

"Enough, Kankuro. Don't you think you've hummiliated Sunagakure enough? Do I have to beat you as well to make your brain work?"- a voice asked. They all turned their heads to see a redheaded boy with a brown gourd on his back and the Sunagakure forehead engraved on the leather that was used to hold said Gourd. The boy wore a darkt unic and a mix of different fabrics that would take long to describe. Kankuro gasped.

"S-Sorry...Gaara..."- he apologized before turning to Naruto himself. For some reason, he felt like the blonde was familiar.

"I apologize for my brother's behavior. He does not seem to understand that we are guests in this village. My name is Sabaku no Gaara. What is yours?"- the guy had tremendous ammounts of chakra, just like Naruto himself. But he seemed physically tired, and there were black rings around his eyes, as if he hadn't had any sleep since he was born.

"Uzumaki Naruto, apologies accepted. Welcome to Konohagakure, can I be of assistance?"- he replied.

"Actually, yes! Where is this "Academy" supposed to be at?"- the girl asked. Naruto smiled and quickly performed handseals before biting his finger and drawing a line of blood on his right palm.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu."- he placed his right hand on the floor, using the tattooed palm to fulfill the contract and making a cloud of white smoke appear. It quickly dispelled, revealing a small, red toad that seemed confused.

"Uh? Naruto nii-san, who are these people?"- the toad asked, confused at the presence of three threatningly powerful chakras.

"They're guest in our village, Gamakishi. Could you please guide them to the Academy? I've got to get going quickly."- the jinchuuriki explained. As Gamakishi looked at the menacing killer looks that Kankuro and Gaara shot him, he was more than happy to hop onto smiling Temari's shoulder. For some reason, she thought that the toad was amazingly cute.

"Sure thing, nii-san, I'll guide nee-chan and her friends to the Academy in no time!"- the toad replied, smiling.

"Ok, see ya then!"- Naruto threw a kunai at the air, pointing towards the Academy, before turning back to the Sunagakure trio.

"...uh, weren't you going?"- Kankuro asked.

"Oh, I have to wait for the kunai to land."- a thick sound was heard."- There it is. See you all next time!"

"He's so cool!"- Temari squealed right after he disappeared. Kankuro facepalmed, Gamakishi laughed and mocked his summoner and Gaara simply closed his eyes.

"Control yourself, Temari."

Meanwhile

"Finally! We've been waiting for hours!"- Sakura yelled at the arriving out of nowhere Naruto.

"Such a drama queen, Sakura. It's been 10 minutes."- Sasuke said with all of his broodiness and cool emanating.- "How are you, dobe?"

"Good to know you missed me. I'm great, how are you two?"- the Uzumaki replied. His two teammates laughed. Even though they had a shaky start, the team was closer than ever. Not because they had to be for the exams, but because they had had each other's lives in each other's hands, and therfore had an unique connection that most of the other Genin couldn't possibly understand. They trusted each other and even were starting to like one another. As strange as that may sound.

After their moment ended, Naruto noticed the silver-haired boy kneeling by Sasuke's side. He was laying down cards, one after another.

"Hey, Sasuke, what is he doing?"- Naruto asked. Sasuke was about to answer when the ninja himself turned his smiling face to the jinchuuriki. His silver hair was tied into a ponytail and he wore glasses and a purple outfit. He had the forehead protector of the village of Sound.

"Hi, I'm Kabuto. I am reading out the information on each of the Genin each year."- and it was then that Naruto noticed the crowd that had formed around the guy, eager to get intell and have an advantage over others.- "What's your name?"

"Don't answer. Giving out details on yourself is stupid."- the Uchiha quickly warned him. Naruto smirked.

"I don't care. The more people come after us, the more people that are knocked out and the bigger the chance we have to conclude the Second and Third Phases. Uzumaki Naruto. Search it up."- almost immediately, Kabuto's face grew pale.

"U-Uzumaki Naruto? Also known as the White Crow?"- he asked, making sure of something. Naruto laughed and nodded, revealing the white crows that were engraved on the back of his fingerless gloves. The students seemed worried. Kabuto took out a card and layed it down. It had a picture of Naruto smiling in front of a crucified man in a suit.- "H-He managed to defeat Haku of the Ice Release, Momochi Zabuza of Kirigakure's Seven Legendary Swordsmen, stole one of the swords and mastered its use. He then used the sword to kill nine hundred thugs, all armed. When he was finished piercing them, he sewed them all together making a mass of bodies. After that, he killed Gato, mercilessly crucifying him with Nuibari, the sword he has on his back right now. He then created a black ball of energy and exploded the body to dust!"

"What the fuck kind of sick guy is he?"- some Genin muttered to his colleague, getting nervous about the jinchuuriki.

"How did you know about all that?"- Naruto asked. Only a handful of people were supposed to know this.

"One of the workers for the Bingo Book managed to watch the match and wrote it all down. You're one of the only people in the world with a "do not engage" classification."- the Otogakure shinobi explained as he trembled out of fear. _How is it possible that he doesn't know this? By Kami!_

"So you're Uzumaki Naruto. This is nice, I get to kill a target on the Bingo Book and eliminate a possible enemy in the exam."- a female voice said, making them turn their heads. Approaching the jinchuuriki and his team were three Kumogakure shinobi.

The leader, was a blonde girl with a bowl cut as if she had decided to become the first female member of "The Beatles". She wore a low-cut outfit with mesh armour underneath, a short skirt and red hand guards, high boots with a modified Kumogakure flak jacket that only covered her stomach. She had a tanto strapped horisontally to her lower back.

She stopped in front of them, followed by a girl with long, spiky red hair and a white bandana that had her forehead protector engraved in it. She wore a long, short-sleeved dress with frilly edges complete with the Kumogakure flak jacket, two yellow earrings, fishnet stockings, thigh-high boots with white souls and had a katana on her back.

Last, but apparently not least was a spiky white-haired boy with a lollipop in his mouth. He had a dark outfit, consisting of an overlong shirt with a hood, with red bandage hand-guards, Kumogakure shin guards and a black forehead protector.

"Kumogakure shinobi. Known for being adept with swords and taijutsu."- Sakura quickly advised Naruto who smirked. The two blondes, Naruto and the Kumo leader unsheated their swords and blocked eachother's blow, measuring strengths.

"You know, I didn't kill all of those because they sucked. I killed all of those because I'm good. There's a reason why I'm marked as "Do not engage." Tell you what, you back off and I'll leave you alone. The second you attack me again, I'll kill you."- the jinchuuriki threatened. For some reason, the Kumo leader's eyes narrowed in shock. The only guy in her team placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her a bit.

"Samui, let's just go. Attacking this guy now only will bring us trouble."- she didn't shrug off the shock completely, but she managed to turn around.

"A-Alright. Omoi, Karui, let's go."- and they walked away, always keeping an eye on Naruto who couldn't keep himself from chuckling. Sasuke pulled him and Sakura into the Academy, away from the nervous mob.

"How did you manage to scare the three of them off?"- the Uchiha asked as they walked to the classroom. Naruto smiled.

"Remember what Kakashi said? Every single one of the legendary swordsmen's swords has the combined killing intent of all its former users sealed in it. It doesn't just affect the sword's user. It also affects the enemy if it comes into contact with them or with their weapon. Samui, or whatever her name is, saw her own death, like a genjutsu."- he explained. Sasuke opened his mouth with understanding, losing his coolness if that was even a word.

They quickly hurried over to their designed classroom while Naruto summoned a small, black toad, that had a shinobi suit on.

"GamaKage, I need a favor. During the exam, use your invisibility power to check for someone who knows the answers. When you've got them all, come to me and tell me them. Ok?"- he asked. The toad nodded and almost immediately vanished, jumping to Naruto's shoulder. They walked into the classroom to see that a bunch of other students had already entered. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were appointed spread out seats, and it was only five minutes later that Naruto realized he was sitting right next to Hinata. He turned his head.- "H-Hi, Hinata-chan."

"H-Hi, Naruto-kun. R-Ready for the t-test?"- she asked. He nodded with a smile, saying that he had a plan.

Suddenly, the classroom's door was shut with a loud sound, letting the students know that playtime was going to start. A man wearing a dark bandana with the Konoha forehead protector engraved, two scars on his face and a dark outfit stepped infront of the blackboard.

"The name is Morino Ibiki. For the next two hours, your asses belong to me, and I can play with you as I please. The exam is composed of ten questions, each of them provides you with ten points if you get it right. Cheating is not advised since the row of Chuunin examinators by your left will record any cheating activity and either discount points or simply kick you out."- he quickly explained, giving them little time to think. _Effective tactic on stressing the mind and causing us to panic._ Sakura thought, recognizing one of the ways that Kurenai taught her about mind stressing.- "Now begin, you stupid excuses for ninja!"

The test went rather smoothly for Team 7.

Sasuke, who had his Sharingan awakened in the fight against Haku, could now copy the writing movements of the shinobi, and sucessfully filled out each question in the test.

Sakura felt herself under the Shintenshin jutsu that belonged to Ino, and placed herself under genjutsu, using Ino's body to copy for herself. Basically, the spell was turned against the wizard, and Ino was lucky not to be caught while being controlled by Sakura.

Naruto simply layed back for half of the test's duration, doing nothing. Hinata even offered to let him copy her answers, but he declined with a smile. After Kage had memorized all of the answers, he approached the jinchuuriki and gave them to him, granting him a full 100 as classification, since he had copied from a disguised Chuunin.

"ALRIGHT, MAGGOTS! TIME'S UP! PENS DOWN OR YOU'RE DISQUALIFIED!"- no one dared to question his orders and all the pens stopped moving.- "Now, for those that are feeling confortable, think again! All of those questions are hereby invalid because I say so! Now, there is one last question, and you must all accept to answer it. If you don't, you fail the exam and can try next year. If you accept to answer it, but get it wrong, you can never participate in a Chuunin Shiken again."

"What? That's bullshit!"- Kiba shouted.

"Completely unfair!"- Ino followed. Ibiki smirked.

"The world is unfair, little girl. And shut the fuck up dog, before I shove a bone up your ass! Now, who quits?"- about half of the students left the classroom before the flow stopped. Trying to get more out, Ibiki approached Naruto.- "Oh, look who it is. If it isn't the little fox boy. How's everything doing, have you made everyone recognize you yet? Hmm? Have you even managed to perform the Bunshin jutsu yet? No? Thought so. Why are you even a Genin?"

"..."- silence filled the room as the students were confused. Did they mock Naruto, or stay shut because of the Bingo Book's reference? Naruto smirked.

"Well, I managed this..."- a kunai suddenly appeared by Ibiki's back of the neck and Naruto disappeared, only to appear behind Ibiki himself, crouching on the interrogator's back with the kunai to his throat.- "Bam. Dead. Either I am the brightest Genin around here, or you are the shittiest interrogator I've seen in my life. Now for the question, no I do not quit. Not because I want people to recognize me, not because I have a fox inside of me, not because of how you people treated me when I was a simple child. I'm doing this because I am going to rebuild my clan, my village and show all of you the power of the Uzumaki. And if you've got something to say to that, I'll make sure you wind up just like Gatou. A pile. Of fucking. Ashes."

"..."- the interrogator couldn't say a thing as he blinked and suddenly Naruto was sitting again in his most casual pose. Ibiki simply stumbled back to the front of the blackboard.- "Fuck it, those who stayed pass. A shinobi must know to trust in himself and yatta yatta yatta. Geez, I need a drink."

"Well, that was unusual."- GameKage said, turning off his invisibility and letting everyone see him on Naruto's shoulder.

A sudden Boom announced the large white smoke cloud appearing in the middle of the room. It took a bit to dispell, but when it did, no one could believe their eyes.

"Just what in the fuck?"- Kiba asked. There was a huge white sash, nailed from one wall to another. It had "The Sexy and Single Mitarashi Anko" written on it, and right in front of it was one of the sexiest Jounin Naruto had ever seen. She had light brown eyes and black hair with a violet tint to it, styled in a short, spiky, fanned-ponytail. She wore a tan overcoat with a purple in-seam with a pocket on both sides, and complete with a fitted mesh body suit that streched from her neck down to her thighs. She wore a dark orange mini-skirt as well as a forehead protector, a small pendant that looked like a snake fang on a thick cord rather than a chain to prevent it from being easily torn off in combat, a wrist watch, and shin guards. She also wore a dark blue belt around her waist that connected to her skirt which had an appendage-like sash. Most males in the room had a nosebleed, except for Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara.

"Everyone, make way for-"- Anko started. The door suddenly crashed apart, revealing a 1,92 meters tall, muscled and lightly tanned guy with medium spiky brown hair and brown eyes. He looked macho but at the same time had defined, feline-like features. He hurried over to Anko, grabbed her by the collar of her armor and dragged her away.

"NO! IT IS REALLY LATE AND I NEED MY SLEEP. NO MORE WRITING. I AM NOT WRITING MORE BECAUSE SOME IDIOT WANTS TO MAKE HER BIG INTRODUCTION!"- the author of this fanfiction declared, dragging her out of the classroom against her useless protests. No one really knew what to say.

(And mates, that was the ninth chapter. Sorry for updating one day late, but my pc decided to act up and stop working for a day. I was also kind of tired when I wrote this one, so please don't judge. Reviews will be appreciated!)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Infamous Second Phase

"Alright twerps, now that you are here, I can finally explain the damn rules and then eat my fucking dango in peace."- the examiner, Mitarashi Anko declared to the dozens of Genin that stood in front of her. _Old Ibiki is losing his touch. The Forest of Death will thin out the numbers, though._

"Then hurry the hell up and send us in already, I'm getting fed up with waiting !"(Pokemon early games reference here) – a shinobi of Otogakure, named Zaku said. Anko smiled.

"Excellent idea. For this task, you'll have to do intell colecting. There are two types of scrolls, the Heaven scroll and the Earth scroll. Each team is given a scroll and their mission is to get their hands on the opposite one while holding on to the first one, and then make their way to the building in the middle of the forest."- she explained. Ino rose her hand, confused.

"But if each team only has one scroll, how are we supposed to get the other one?"- she asked, very innocently. Kiba chuckled.

"Isn't it obvious? We fucking kill for them!"- he answered. Anko laughed in delight as a bunch of Genin moved uncomfortably, as if they hadn't considered the possibility of killing or dying. Everyone did except for Team 7, the Suna team, the Kumo team and Kiba himself.

"I'm glad some actually understand the purpose of this test. Now, the little shack by my right is where you'll get your scroll. Move it!"- she ordered. Not a second later, Naruto appeared by her side, smiling.

"Alright."- and he simply walked into the shed for a few seconds, everyone's faces shocked at how he simply teleported. He came out with nothing on his hands and no backpack before approaching his team.

"Dobe...please tell me you didn't forget to bring the scroll."- the Uchiha asked with a pleading voice. Naruto smirked.

"We've got the Heaven scroll. I had one of my Kuchyiose guard it before anyone could see. That way, if someone captures us, they don't get the scroll, and we can just kuchyiose it at the end of the challenge."- the jinchuuriki explained. Sasuke thought for a few moments. _That is too intelligent for Naruto. But I don't really care, because I am cool and broody and stuff._

"Whatever."-Anko muttered before taking a bite out of the dango and turning around to walk away. She suddenly stopped and turned again.- "Oh right, every team has a designed gate. Consult your instructions sheet to know which is yours."

"Awh, ours is on the other side of the forest! That's like two miles away from here!"- Sakura complained, looking at the sheet on her hands. Naruto's face turned into an annoyed expression.

"Screw that! I'm not walking around all this!"- he threw a kunai close to the fence and teleported to it, kicked it back to where he was, imprinted a seal on the fence and immediately teleported to the kicked kunai right before an explosion was heard.

The smoke quickly dissipated to reveal that the fence had been blown apart. Everyone, including Anko, was shocked.

"What the hell, Naruto? Do something like that again and I'll put you under a genjutsu that'll tear your mind to pieces!"- Sakura threatened. However, Naruto payed her no attention. He simply conteplated his artwork.

"Hm, destructive power has increased. I guess adding a new trigram level actually increases the power."- he muttered, as if he was an expert bomber, trying to evaluate his own work. Sasuke facepalmed.

"Let's just go."

And so they ran through the broken fence, ignoring any complaints from the examiners and students, unsheathing Nuibari, a flute and some stupid kunai (gotta love Sasuke).

They ran for an hour, determined to get at least through half of the trip. While running, they had made up a plan and decided that most people would run around the first area and build up safehouses, but some would head straight for the main building to set up traps, and those were their targets.

"Are you sure this will work?"- Sakura whispered. They were currently spying on a Grass team. They seemed vulnerable and were carrying an Earth scroll with them. Naruto smirked and Sasuke scowled.

"Don't be so insecure. They're obviously vulnerable, they even have their backs to us. A quick attack would be the end of it."- the Uchiha replied. Naruto, however, was not so convinced. He smirked.

"Nah, Sasuke. Things aren't that easy. It's because they're ignoring every shinobi rule that we would fail. They are obviously faking it to reel us in."- the jinchuuriki warned. Sakura gasped and Sasuke gave him a confused look.

"Why do you say so?"- he asked.

"Because they're right behind us."- Sasuke quickly turned around to see the same three Grass ninja they had been stalking moments ago, looking right at them.

"H-how?"- the Uchiha asked. The obvious leader smiled as the other two laughed. She pointed behind him, as the original Grass ninja exploded into clouds of white smoke.

"Are you an Uchiha or not, man? Stop standing around and do something!"- the Uzumaki shouted as Kunai scattered all around and became a dark blur, teleporting from one to another. Sasuke quickly woke up from the trance. The leading Grass ninja smiled.

"This is going to be fun. You two handle the girl, do whatever you like. But leave me and these two alone. I'm going to hunt."- at her command, the two guys jumped at Sakura who began to play her genjutsu melody, and they disappeared into the woods. When Sasuke looked back, the Grass ninja's tongue was slithering around her kunai. Her pupil turned into a slit, as if she was a snake!

_ What the fuck? I can feel something pressing down on me!_ An unbearable pressure crushed his shoulders as he saw his own death, a vision that terrified him to no end. B ut as suddenly as it came to him, it disappeared. The Grass nin was flying against a tree, Naruto in a fighting stance while gripping his fist. The Grass nin stood up and smiled.

"That's quite a right jab. I couldn't even see you. It's impressive that you escaped my genjutsu."- she commented, gripping her kunai again. Naruto smirked as he cracked his knuckles before taking out and opening his Fuma Shuriken.

"Genjutsu do not work on me. I have the Kyuubi inside me, and she frees me from any illusion."- he threw the Shuriken as hard as he could, sending it flying like a buzzsaw directly at the nin's torso. She, however, simply jumped over it like Zabuza had done. Naruto teleported to the seal that was placed on the shuriken and managed to place a seal on the enemy's back, before hanging on to the shuriken again, flying away.

"That's it? You tapped my back? Was that your crazy plan? I admit, it was a well thought strategy, but that wasn't very effective."- she commented again. Naruto smirked and she knew it was not a good sign.

"The first move is always a fake!"- she looked behind to see a barrage of fire balls that Sasuke had spat. The nin managed to dodge one or two before being completely thrashed around by five consecutive ones that blasted her away, sending her crashing through a tree and falling to another branch. A second later, she dissolved into mud.

"You think she's gone?"- the Uchiha asked. Naruto approached and placed his hand on the mud, sensing through it.

"No. This was a stupid Kawarimi."- he replied, looking back at his partner. Something above Sasuke moved.

"DIE!"- the Grass ninja fell on Sasuke, ready to stab him with a sword that was coming out of her mouth. Naruto formed the Conciliation handseal.

"KATSU!"- the nin's back exploded violently, making him drop to the side, not even laying a finger on Sasuke. The Uchiha seemed surprised, looking at the dead nin's body and then back at the gasping Naruto, who clutched his heart as if he were in pain before coughing out blood. His teammate quickly hurried over.

"Shit, are you ok, man? What the hell happened? I didn't see you getting hit!"- he asked, worry in his voice.

"I'm sorry, this seal I used on the *cough * nin, is a kinjutsu of my family. It drains a massive ammount of chakra, but it had to be done. It's going to take a bit to recover, so I'll have to be dragged by you and Sakura."- he muttered before passing out on the ground. Sasuke managed to catch him again, but something moved below them. The Grass nin's body was recomposing itself! The insides were made of serpents!

"Sorry, I don't die that easily. Extremely great strategy though, it was enough to deceive me until the very end."- the sword came out of his mouth and he wielded it. Sasuke got pissed and a sharingan showed in his eyes, aimed at the nin. He ran through handseals.

"KATON: GOUKAKYU NO JUTSU!"- he spat a gigantic fireball that seemingly cooked his enemy, but when it dissipated there was only a puddle of mud (yeah, that's a band) on the branch. He sensed something behind me.

He turned around with a rotating backfist and engaged on a one-on-one taijutsu battle with his hatred's new target. In those following five minutes, Sasuke gave his enemy a full demonstration on why he was considered Konoha's top Genin and a genius. Shuriken with ninja wire followed with Katon: Ryuuka, or entire booby traps placed in seconds. Everything ended with Sasuke piledriving the nin to the ground with a headfirst twenty meter fall.

"Final-fucking-ly."- the Uchiha offspring muttered as he turned his back on the motionless body, heading for his teammate. Suddenly, a sharp pain was felt on his left shoulder. He looked back to see that the nin had extended his neck like a snake and bit him. The pain hurt so bad that he fell to his knees as the nin's neck turned back to normal.

"For that beautiful fight, I give you this gift of power. We will meet again."- and he went into the ground, disappearing. Sasuke faintly heard Sakura's yells as he passed out.

(Classes almost ending guys, please be patient. New chapter tomorrow.)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Sasuke's Awakening and the Preliminaries

When Naruto finally managed to open his eyes, he couldn't believe in them. The Sound team was surrounding Sakura, all with sadistic smiles on their faces. Sasuke was passed out by his side, but dark chakra was flowing from him. _Fuck._ He quickly jumped up and placed a seal on his teammate, keeping the dark chakra inside. _If whatever that was escaped, we'd be in real trouble._

"Oh look, blondie has woken up."- Naruto turned around to see Zaku looking at him with a grin on his face. The Sound Genin rose his two arms and pointed the tubes on his palms at Sakura and the jinchuuriki.- "Blondie, Pinkie, nice meeting you. Time to die!"

"Zaku, no!"- the leader of the Otogakure team shouted, but it was already too late. The air rippled and a pression blast exploded in front of them.

"HA! DIE YOU BITCHES! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"- Zaku maniacly laughed, excited as the smoke and dust settled, showing...nothing?

"Phew...that was a close one."- they looked up to see the jinchuuriki laying Sakura down on a large tree branch. She couldn't believe she was alive.

"N-Naruto, you're awake! B-But you were injured!"- she said, not believing her eyes. Naruto smiled at her before inspecting the area. Besides Sasuke, there was another student lying on the ground. He had black bubble hair and a green spandex suit like Gay. _Rock Lee._

"I see you used our teammate like a punching bag."- they looked up to see Neji and Tenten looking down at them.- "We'll be paying back the favor."

"Sakura, we came to save you!"- Ino said, jumping out of some bushes with Shikamaru and Chouji. A snarl was heard.

"Fuck yes, we have the chance to kick some ass!"- Kiba jumped down from some trees above them with Hinata and Shino. Zaku bowed his head.

"Bugs...bugs fucking everywhere! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"- he pointed his arms. Naruto smirked and rose his hand as well, getting everyone's attention.

"From what I can make out of this situation, Sakura dragged me and Sasuke over here to take care of us after defeating two Grass ninja. These pieces of shit came along and beat her to a pulp before Rock Lee turned up. He managed to get a bit of damage in but three are too much for one. They then beat Sakura again, and I woke up. They're making this too personal, so I guess they have another objective besides the scrolls. They wanted to kill me and Sakura, so their target is Sasuke."- he deduced. The Sound leader, Dosu laughed before nodding, something that shocked most of the viewers.

"You got it right, kid. Good thinking."- he pulled his sleeves up, showing a metal gauntlet with holes everywhere.

"Alright, that's all I had to hear. Everyone, stay right where you are. These guys screwed with my team and if I let them live, they may hurt the one I love."- he scattered more kunai all over the field before looking up.- "I will not fail."

"Haha, you idiot, do you really think you can do something against the three of us? Both Pinkie and Gay dude there have failed!"- the Sound girl replied. Naruto smirked before disappearing and appearing right in front of her, spinning and kicking her in the chest, sending her flying away. Zaku quickly sent a pression blast at him, but he had already disappeared.

Naruto became a black blur, teleporting from one kunai to another, using his superior taijutsu skills to single-handedly destroy the Sound team. A punch here, a kick there, an explosive tag to the ground beneath them.

Neji couldn't believe his Byakugan. _When did that failure get this fast and strong? This is not possible!_

However, he was the only one who felt that way. All of the others were amazed and liking Naruto's change for the better. Hinata was very proud at the fact he called her the one he loved. It had to be her, right?

"FUCK THIS SHIT, I'LL END IT NOW!"- Zaku shouted. He rose both of his hands. _Full air pressure, 100% supersonic!_ Naruto fell right in front of him as the air started to ripple.

"Do not fuck with me!"- the Uzumaki said, placing one of his kunai between both of his outstretched hands. The blast of air quickly went towards the jinchuuriki, but it didn't even harm him! It was absorbed into the kunai, the kunai was then thrown upwards, pointing at the Sound air rippled.

"GOD DAMN IT ZAKU, YOU'VE KILLED US ALL!"- the blast of air was shot out of the weapon, heading for the sound team. It exploded with so much energy that most trees around the area were blasted to pieces.

"SHIT!"- Kiba's voice was heard.

"Such power!"- Shikamaru followed.

"What an overkill!"- Tenten finalized. The smoke cloud took long to dissipate, but when it did, Kin and Zaku were down on the ground. The first looked unconscious, but Zaku's arms were twisted gruesomely. Dosu fell from the trees, his hands up in the air.

"Please, there is no more need for violence! I'll make you a deal, you can have our Earth scroll and you let us go."- he begged. Naruto thought a bit. _I could kill them here and take the Earth scroll, but that's not what I've been raised to do. If I let them live, I gain the other's trust, I don't shock Hinata, and I show that the Uzumaki clan is merciful as well._

"Throw the scroll over here, then. But you have to answer my questions!"- he demanded. Dosu nodded as he threw the scroll.- "Who sent you? You were obviously trying to kill me and Sakura. What about Sasuke?"

"Orochimaru, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, sent us. He's the one who founded our village, Otogakure. He wanted us to kill all three of you. He said that he wanted us to kill you so the Kyuubi could unleash its power on the village, he said he wanted us to kill Pinkie over there because she came from some clan that was extinct but powerful, and had to be wiped from history."- Dosu replied, grabbing both of his teammates, preparing himself to carry them away. Naruto shook his head.

"That can't be all of it! Kill me to free the Kyuubi? That's understandable, but the Haruno clan isn't even well known in our village, how could it be away from it? And you haven't talked about Sasuke!"- he said. Dosu sighed.

"I see I can't get away with this. I say it, Orochimaru kills me, I don't, you kill me. I choose first. Sakura isn't from the Haruno clan, she never was. She's adopted. She comes from the Land of Sound, from the Fuma clan which was extinct. They were known for their genjutsu, that sound familiar to you?"- the Oto nin replied.- "As for Sasuke, I don't even know. Orochimaru said he wanted us to kill him, but he gave him so much power! If you hadn't blocked it, Sasuke would probably have killed all of us. Now, I have to go. I promise that next time we meet, I won't be running away."

"..."- and with that, Dosu ran away. Naruto had to process the information he had just received. He knew it was true, since it made sense and Dosu would die anyway, so he'd rather give the truth. Sakura was crying, so he quickly headed over.- "Don't cry Sakura, he was probably lying."

"M-My parents told me that they had to talk with me after the Chuunin Shiken. A serious talk. I was confused, a-and I tried to find hints. I found a little jacket with the Fuuma clan's symbol on the back. It was too new to be from my parents, but I would never think this..."- she wheeped. Naruto couldn't feel more pity for her, but it wasn't the time for her to lose her focus. Sasuke was shaking and the dark chakra was starting to leak out of the half-assed seal he had placed on him.

"Come on, Sweet Cherry Blossom. We've got to go."- he said, putting Sasuke on his shoulder. Kiba jumped in front of them.

"We could simply beat you and take your team out of the Shiken. Less trouble later."- he said. Naruto looked at him with a killer glare.

"You can try to do that. I've been training with a Sannin lately. He taught me a technique that is strong enough to kill a God. I still haven't tried it on anyone, want to be first?"- red chakra started to envelop Naruto. Akamaru wheeped and Kiba snarled before letting them pass.

Thirty minutes later, they were inside the main building. Sasuke's state had worsened, and they were starting to worry. Kakashi quickly hurried over and took a look at Sasuke.

"Naruto, do you know any kind of seal that can stop this permanently?"- the jounin asked, knowing that the jinchuuriki had great knowledge in the ancient art of sealing.

"This seal is special. It acts on the user's will. But it also acts when in times of great danger. I can place a seal to restrain it, and only open when Sasuke's will is broken, but I can't do much else. I also can't do that now, anyway."- he replied. Kakashi rose his right eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"Because everyone that is alive or in the game has already arrived, and since they are too many, the examiners decided to take preliminary matches! They start in ten minutes, that isn't enough time for me to place the necessary seal!"- the jinchuuriki explained. Kakashi sighed. _Everything helps, doesn't it?_

"Sasuke has been announced as one of the two competitors in the first match!"- Sakura warned, running into the room. Naruto swore.

"Damn it, I'll place an half-assed seal on him. It will only be able to hold his dark chakra for ten minutes, so you can't make the match very long, understand?"- he asked. Sasuke nodded barely able to utter a word. A voice was heard outside, calling for Sasuke, who rose, slapping away the helping hands of his teammates.

"Fuck me if I'm going to let this thing rule my own body."-and he walked out. They soon followed to see that he was already standing in front of a Sound nin.

"Are you ready?"- Gekko Hayate asked the two, who nodded to answer him.- "Alright, Akado Yoroi vs Uchiha Sasuke. Begin!"

"I'm only warning you once, give up."- Yoroi taunted Sasuke who laughed out loud as if he had heard the funniest joke ever.

"Make me."- Sasuke ran at Yoroi, performing the Ram handseal. Yoroi was ready to punch him in the face when Sasuke disappeared and appeared above him, something that took Yoroi a bit to figure out and dodge.

"Shunshin no jutsu?"- he asked. Sasuke smirked and kept disappearing, appearing out of nowhere and punching or kicking the Otogakure nin. Naruto smiled.

"He copied your technique, Naruto!"- Sakura exclaimed. Naruto looked at her and shook his head, denying it.

"Hiraishin can not be copied. It is a technique that requires a lot of comprehension. Sasuke wanted it's power, so he dug into his family's history until he found out about Shunshin no Shisui, who used a technique very similar to mine."- he explained before grinning.- "That's the Uchiha's power for you."

"Gah!"-Sasuke yelled as Yoroi managed to touch him with his hand. It was very quick, but Kakashi managed to get it.

"That kid has the ability to drain chakra."- he said, looking with his Sharingan. Sasuke stumbled a bit before Yoroi grabbed the Uchiha's forehead with his right hand, draining the chakra out, making Sasuke lose energy each milisecond.

Sasuke dropped to his knees, and after a minute, fell to the ground on his back and gave no signs of life. A scowl was heard, and they turned their faces to Kankuro, the Sunagakure puppeteer.

"I knew that these Konoha clans were overrated. Look at him! Not even two minutes and already on the ground."- as much as Naruto hated him, he was right. Sasuke was doing really bad. But if people let themselves be convinced by Kankuro, the Uchiha's reputation would fall. So Naruto decided to do the thing he thought would help more, and laughed out loud. Laughed like a maniac, as if the death of his teammate would please him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? He's dying and you laugh?"- Kiba asked. Sakura laughed as well after that.

"You are all idiots. Do you really think Sasuke is that weak? He is the last known member of the Uchiha clan, a Genin who can already use two elements and a genius!"- the jinchuuriki replied. Sasuke suddenly threw Yoroi backwards before disappearing. Dark Flame marks started to spread out through his body, making him faster and stronger. Chakra was overwhelming him, but he managed to control it.

"Shit!"- Yoroi yelled as Sasuke appeared in front of him, punched him and disappeared again. Yoroi rolled back and was standing up when Sasuke appeared below him, kicking him in the chin and sending him fly up in the air. Sasuke performed the Ram handseal again.

"Shunshin no jutsu!"- he appeared right behind the ascending Yoroi, both flying up until the Uchiha forced the flames back into the seal and elbowing the Sound nin on his chest, sending him down.

"Kakashi-sensei, what is he going to do?"- Sakura asked, not quite sure what the Uchiha survivor was planning with that.- "Aren't they both going to crash right into the ground?"

"I see what he's doing. He knows he can't use powerful ninjutsu because his chakra reserves have been depleted. He can't use genjutsu and therefore has to use the dark seal's power to hit a strong taijutsu move and knock Yoroi out."- the Jounin explained. Sasuke turned and punched Yoroi in the gut, making him fall faster before rolling forward and pendulum kicking Yoroi's stomach just as he falls on the ground.

"SHISHI RENDAN!"- Sasuke yelled.

"GAAAAH!"- the sound nin cried out, as the pain spread through his body. One or two ribs were cracked for sure, and he quickly blacked out. After a close inspection, Hayate nodded.

"He's unconscious. The winner, Uchiha Sasuke."- Sasuke smirked at this, but fell back. Luckily, a kunai was conveniently thrown there, and Naruto, accompanied by Kakashi, teleported to grab him as he fell. They quickly disappeared again, appearing back in the previous room.

"Shit, I managed to control myself there, but when the seal's power is loose, I feel this killing intent..."- the Uchiha admitted. Naruto wondered, and figured that it was just like Nuibari. He'd eventually get used to it.

The next fourty minutes were spent in that room, designing uncomprehensible seals. Kakashi was taking a deep look into Naruto. How did the good-for-nothing jinchuuriki manage to become so proficient in an art that most shinobi thought so difficult and impossible. Sasuke himself was impressed. He had given seals a try before, but he only managed to get far enough to seal weapons.

However, the world didn't take breaks just because they did. More matches followed up. The Second one being Aburame Shino vs Zaku Abumi. Zaku, apparently with no arm injuries at all, managed to lose quite embarassingly, since Shino defeated him in about two minutes.

The following one was between Kankuro and Tsurugu Misumi, another Sound nin. Apparently, this new Otogakure Genin had the ability of twisting his joints however he pleased. Kankuro managed to fool him and turn the trick against the trickster, crushing every single one of Misumi's bones.

After that, it was Sakura's showdown against Ino. The Yamanaka girl managed to make the match last eight minutes, but Sakura quickly disposed of her with one of her most powerful genjutsu, Feather Illusion Jutsu, which put the girl to sleep. However, Ino managed to establish a connection with her by cutting her hair and making chakra run through it, so they both fell asleep, and it ended in a draw.

Next up was Tenten vs Temari. This match had apparently been interesting, since Tenten revealed herself to be quite a kunoichi. But Temari's Wind release made her weapon rains useless. All in all, it was a good fight.

Then came Shikamaru vs Kin Tsuchi. Let's just say that it was painful to watch for the rest of the students. Kin was adept at genjutsu, and managed to bring Shikamaru to his knees, but her IQ was worse than a retarded goldfish's, and the Nara Genin quickly outsmarted her and made her fall for a trick that not even Akamaru would fall for, getting his victory.

Luckily, Naruto finished the seal just in time to attend his fight with Kiba. Sasuke passed out, but it wasn't unpredictable, since it was a very powerful seal that forced the body to shut down in order to set itself well.

He quickly threw a kunai out of the room, and the only thing that the spectators saw was Kiba jumping down from the countertops and yelling a taunt, before a kunai came out of nowhere and landed on the ground. Moments later, Naruto appeared on it.

"Inuzuka Kiba vs Uzumaki Naruto. Begin."- Hayate ordered. The two Konoha nin stayed where they were, smirking at each other.

"This is going to be easy, Akamaru! Let's kick this shithead's ass!"- the dog-like Genin said. Akamaru barked before turning into an exact copy of Kiba. Naruto grinned like an insane person, his eyes turning into slits.

"I promise you that this day will change your life. You will think of this day as the day you got beaten up so bad you weren't able to move. I will have no pity on you."- Naruto disappeared, only to appear in front Kiba again and punch him hard in the face, sending him tumbling backwards. Akamaru jumped on him, trying to retaliate, but Naruto simply teleported up, dragging Akamaru with him and kicking him to let him fall on his own.

"Tssk...You piece of shit! I'LL KILL YOU! AKAMARU, COME HERE!"- Kiba shouted as Akamaru ran back to him and jumped on his back. Kiba clapped his palms together in a chakra-concentrating seal.- "Giju Ninpo: Shikyaku no jutsu!"

"Hehehehe..."- Naruto laughed as Kiba and Akamaru became more feral. Their eyes became slits, their teeth sharpened and their nails grew into claws. They quickly got into all fours, ready to attack. Naruto also clapped his palms together.

"White Crow Art: Four Legged Flight!"- he also got on all fours. His slits became red and his teeth grew sharp enough to cut through concrete.

His nails grew into claws as well, his hair turning completely white and his cheek whisker marks growing. He got on all fours, and somehow, his clothing reacted to it. It changed from black to white, the white crows on his gloves turning black. The only thing that was untouched was his red Uzumaki clan symbol. Sakura couldn't believe her eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei, all the time I spent practicing my Sensitive abilities with Team 8, it's paying off. I can sense Naruto's chakra, but that's too much! Is he trying to kill Kiba?"- she asked, clearly worried since she still remembered how Naruto's last chakra outburst got more than nine hundred people dead. The Jounin didn't even turn his head to answer, but everyone became silent to hear the response.

"Naruto has been treated like a talentless idiot all of his life. His dream is to become recognized by everyone as the best shinobi in existence. In order to accomplish that, he has to prove the ones who doubted him, wrong. He has proved Sasuke, He has proved me, He has proved Zabuza and now, he has to prove all of these people, and Kiba, wrong. There is no way he is going to use just one percent of his power in this fight."- Kakashi replied, shocking all of the ones who were listening. Naruto clapped his hands together again before spreading them out.

"White Crow Art: Endless Flight."- a big globe expanded from him, covering all of the arena in one seal, the same seal that was on his weapons. He smirked.

"Now I know that your weapons are the only way you can teleport. I'll just have to predict where you go, and you're finished."- Kiba said. Naruto laughed as the two Kibas galloped at him, using zig zag patterns to deceive him before attacking. Naruto stopped laughing to immediately disappear. Kiba smiled and turned to the only kunai in the field, but Naruto wasn't there. Naruto was right above Kiba, ready to punch him in the face when the latter realized what was happening and jumped away from it.- "What the f...?"

"Hehehe. My turn."- he disappeared again and started appearing around Kiba and Akamaru, kicking or punching before teleporting again.

"A-Amazing..."- Temari commented.

"Impossible!"- Kankuro followed.

"How the hell is this happening?"- Kakashi himself was surprised. No one could take their eyes off as Naruto became a white flash. _He will be known as "The White Flash of Konoha, in honor to his father._ Kakashi thought to himself. He pulled up his forehead protector to reveal the Sharingan, but even then, he couldn't follow Naruto's movements.

"Grrr, you piece of shit!"- Kiba threw a smoke bomb to the ground and started his clan's hit and run tactics. Naruto was already out of the cloud though, smiling.

"I'm going to teach you to respect me!"- he spun, creating a huge drill in the air.- "WHITE CROW ART: DRILL PECK!"

"GRRR, AKAMARU, GATSUUGA!"- he and Akamaru spun, creating two drills as well, colliding with Naruto's producing sparks. The confront was close, and it was creating enough energy to make everyone grab onto something in order to prevent getting pushed back. They kept measuring strengths until they broke off. Kiba had a few scratches, and Akamaru too. Naruto was bleeding from a whole lot of parts, something that made Kiba laugh.- "See? Copies can not do shit against the real thing!"

"Hehe..."- Naruto laughed performing the confrontation seal. Akamaru's back exploded, making him fall to the ground and turn back into a dog. He didn't seem very hurt, but he was obviously out cold. Kiba fell to his knees, checking if Akamaru was ok while taking glances at Naruto.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HIM, YOU BASTARD?"- he said, getting up with grief in his eyes. Naruto smiled.

"I proved your point. Copies are shit compared to the real thing. Now it is a fair one on one."- hearing this, Kiba ran at Naruto, performing Tsuuga. Naruto smiled and performed the Drill Peck, colliding against his fellow Konohagakure shinobi. This one was as intense as the last one, but had a different outcome. When the spinning came to an end, Kiba was blown back, filled with small but a bit deep cuts.

"S-Shit..."- he muttered, trying to stand up. Naruto teleported below Kiba and kicked him in the chin, sending him flying up like Sasuke had done. As Kiba flew up, he tried to spot Naruto in the ground, until Shikamaru pointed up. Kiba looked up to see the jinchuuriki getting into a bird stance and grinning.

"White Crow Art: PEAKED FLIGHT!"- lightning gathered around the Uzumaki as he curled up and took a hold of Kiba.

To the spectators, it looked like a flash of light, diagonally crashing into the ground. The blow was so intense that all of the spectators were blown back a few steps. A huge cloud of dust was in the air, a cloud that took two minutes to dissipate. When it did, it revealed a large crater on the ground with Kiba in the center of it. Naruto was standing triumphally a step away from him, smiling to himself. Gekko called the paramedics as he determined that Kiba was nowhere near capable of fighting.

"Your winner, Uzumaki Naruto."- Naruto's claws turned back to nails, his slit eyes back into actual pupils and his hair went to its normal length. His teeth went back to normal as well and his whisker marks lost a lot of their definition. His clothes turned back into the normal colours, and before anyone could comment on the match, he went back into the countertops with a serious expression on his face.

(There you go guys, sorry for taking so long. My computer decided to derp out. As always, please review. If you have any complaints, write them down as well.)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Third Phase

"Uzumaki Naruto vs Hyuuga Neji, Kankuro vs Aburame Shino, Temari vs Nara Shikamaru, Sabaku no Gaara vs Uchiha Sasuke. These are the matches you will see today. As Hokage, I believe they will be interesting, surprising and bond-creating between the participating villages. But, as an old shinobi, I'm proud of the competitors, especially the ones from Konoha who I saw growing up into the ninja they are today."- the Sandaime Hokage spoke through a microphone. Naruto didn't know what it was, but the old man had something that made everyone shut up while he spoke, even if it was a whole stadium. Seconds before, the public was wild, impatient to see the blood they had paid to see. Now, they were sitting quietly like obedient dogs.- "Now, without further a due, begin!"

"Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji, please step forward."- ordered Shiranui Genma, the proctor for the Chuunin Shiken. Apparently, Gekko Hayate was missing, and a search had already been started for him. Naruto and Neji obeyed while the rest of the competitors went to the countertops.

The Hyuuga had a smirk on his face, as if he knew or saw something Naruto couldn't know or see. Naruto returned the smirk, something that deeply annoyed his opponent.

"Feeling confident?"- the Hyuuga tried to hide his anger with a polite question. Naruto's face turned serious.

"I have trust in myself. I've made a promise, in the preliminaries. Remember?"- the jinchuuriki replied, memories coming back to him.

Flashback

There were only three people in the preliminary arena with their faces straight. Gaara, Hayate and Neji. The latter was covered in his cousin, Hinata's blood, the blood she had spat after he hit her in a vital point over and over again. She had fallen many times, but always stood up to face her cousin again.

"I won't back down. I won't go back on my word...T-That's...*cough * my nindo...my ninja way."- she said. That was before she ended completely beaten up. So much that it seemed like she wasn't conscious anymore. The fact that she was standing was a pure reflex.

"The match is over. Your winner, Hyuuga Neji."- Hayate announced, putting a stop to such brutality. Everyone's faces were of pure shock. _How could someone do something like that to their own blood-kin?_ Naruto was the most shocked of all. He had seen his love getting beat up just for standing up for herself. She was so thoughtful that she had given him a medical cream for his wounds, and now she was covered in her own blood for not having the black heart needed to kill her cousin.

"She gave a good fight. I'm pretty sure Neji got hit there, she just didn't place strength behind the blow out of pity."- Kakashi commented. But Naruto didn't care. All he had attention for at that moment was the way of how Neji's eye veigns were getting more defined. Nuibari shook, and once he gripped it, Naruto could feel the Hyuuga's killing intention.

That was why, before the Jounin could do anything, before Neji could finish the killing blow on the standing Hinata, he was punched straight in the face by Naruto.

The Hyuuga flew against a wall, and before he could fall, Nuibari penetrated his right hand, pinning him against the wall. Neji yelled, but before he could finish said yell, Naruto teleported to the legendary sword, kicked him into the wall, yanked Nuibari out while grabbing his right wrist before judo-throwing him away.

Neji was barely on his knees when Naruto threw a kunai and used Hiraishin again, kicking him to the ground. He was preparing to do so again when all of the Jounin plus Rock Lee, stopped him.

"Naruto, if you proceed, you'll be disqualified from the tournament."- Kakashi warned as Neji stood up, panting and not even knowing which hurting place of his body he should hold.

"Another display of favoritism towards the Main Branch."- he commented, between coughs. Naruto's eyes flashed with pure anger and hatred, turning into slits.

"HOW ABOUT ANOTHER DISPLAY OF FAVORITISM TOWARDS KICKING YOUR ASS?"- the jinchuuriki replied, opening his right fist. Chakra started to shape itself, and soon, there was a Rasengan floating on the palm. Kakashi gulped, followed by the other Jounin. Rock lee kept his cool, placing his hands on Naruto's shoulders.

"Naruto-kun, if you do this, you'll get disqualified and sink into Neji's level. Won't it be much better to beat Neji in the Third Phase? In a fair fight, proving that hard workers can surpass geniuses, and potentially avenging Hinata-chan as well?"- his words made too much sense for naruto to keep his anger up. The Rasengan dissolved, letting the Jounin "phew" as much as they wanted. Lee smiled, knowing Naruto would do the right thing.

The Uzumaki walked towards Hinata, who layed on the ground. Blood was coming out of her mouth, and Naruto shed a single tear before bowing, kissing her cheek and taking a bit of her blood on his fingers. He then rose up and used Nuibari to cut his hand, before closing it into a conjoined blood slowly dropped to the floor, making the room dead silent. He pointed his knuckles towards Neji with the most fearsome face he could conjure up, dark chakra emanating from him.

"Today, I promise I will not go back on my word. Today, I promise..."- he then aimed his slitted eyes at the Hyuuga.- "...THAT I WILL KILL YOU ON THE THIRD PHASE!"

"..."- the arena stood silent as he walked right out of the main building. Some of them thought about warning him regarding crossing Death Forest again, but none of them dared. He simply opened way by explosive seals.

End Flashback

The Uzumaki closed his eyes to try and concentrate on controlling his anger. He slowly opened them and pointed his knuckles at Neji with his arm outstretched.

"You die, here and today."- the sentence, or promise wasn't new, but it still shocked every single person in the stadium, except for Neji, who sent a death glare at Naruto.

"You still think you stand a chance? Someone like you could never defeat the Hyuuga!"- he got on a Jyuuken stance, ready to retaliate against any blow. Naruto smirked and rose his fist again, stretching three fingers.

"They said that I would never defeat Sasuke. That I'd never defeat Zabuza, Haku or the nine hundred thugs. That I'd never defeat Kiba. Every single time, they were wrong. You keep wanting to make me, an Uzumaki, accept that I will never defeat someone from the Hyuuga, a clan that is not even known outside of the Land of Fire. Because it is my destiny."- Naruto clapped his palms together, smirking again.- "Perhaps you should accept that destiny does not apply to me. Destiny, is my bitch!"

"How dare you insult the Hyuuga!"- Neji ran at Naruto, who spread his arms out, an orb expanding around him and to every inch of the arena, the Hiraishin seal written on the ground. Even though the Secondary Branch member knew it would be useless, he struck the jinchuuriki with his palm, only to smash through air as his opponent teleported.

"The Hyuuga think too much of their Byakugan, even though it's as good as a stick up the ass if you aren't skilled with it."- this sentence angered Neji so much that the Byakugan instantly turned on, with its full power. He turned around to see Naruto standing on a tree.- "Do you know why it's called "The Eye of Evil"? Because it lets you see everything in a near 360 degree angle. But every doujutsu has a price. The Byakugan's price is that it makes you blind. Not actual blind, but blind to true facts. The Byakugan alters the user's mind regarding their affinities. If you have an affinity for being nice, like Hinata, the Byakugan and mind will become pure like hers. But if you have an affinity for deadlines and bad thoughts, including killing intentions, it turns your mind so that you become evil and arrogant, like yourself. You become blind to the rest.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"- Neji jumped and flipped in the air, engaging on a taijutsu battle with Naruto. He was so pissed off that he didn't even use chakra in his blows, determined to hurt the jinchuuriki with force only.

Naruto didn't let himself fall back and retaliated with the more martial part of his White Crow art. The two clashed one, two, three times, blocking each other right before attempting the next attack. Neji tried to strike Naruto's stomach with his palm, but was pushed away as Naruto frontkicked and frontflipped, doublekicking him with all his strength.

Normally, it would have had an effect, but Neji got a hold of himself and released enough chakra to stop the attack, using it as a shield. Naruto smiled and teleported up. Neji's Byakugan immediately detected him, but what he saw didn't please him. Nuibari was unsheathed as Naruto got into the White Crow Floating Stance, as if he was a hawk, ready to take a peaked hunting flight. He placed Nuibari in such a way that it was pointing downwards, following his leg movements. Raiton element chakra enveloped him and he concentrated it so that it made him faster.

"WHITE CROW ART: PEAKED FLIGHT!"- to the spectators, it was as if lightning had descended from the heavens. A flash of light, diagonally crashed into the Hyuuga competitor, creating an explosion and raising a dust cloud. It took a minute or so until the cloud dissipated, but when it did, it revealed Naruto, trying to use Nuibari to pierce through Neji's defense. Raiton chakra was still enveloping him and Nuibari, but they had been stopped by what seemed to be a semi-sphere of blue chakra that enveloped the spinning Neji and the area around him.

"HAKKESHO KAITEN!"- Neji yelled as the semi-sphere dilated and blew Naruto away. The Hyuuga stopped spinning as Naruto fell down, a smirk on his face.- "Hmm. Not so cocky now, are you? Huh?"

"I admit, that was unexpected. But you haven't won yet."- he replied, getting up. He was about to say something else when Neji appeared right in front of him in a Jyuuken stance. His left arm and leg forward, pointing down, and his right arm and leg back, pointing up.

"You're right, but I'll win with this! Jyuukenho: HAKKE ROKUJUYON SHO!"- he spun and hit Naruto too hard and fast to give him any chance of retaliation.- "2 PALMS, 4 PALMS, 8 PALMS, 16 PALMS, 32 PALMS...64 PALMS!"

"GAAAH!"- Naruto shouted as Neji struck him in every single one of his tenketsu points, delivering a large ammount of pain and sending him flying back.

"Where did he learn that?"- Hiashi Hyuuga yelled from the countertops. Neji had a smirk on his face as Hinata gasped for Naruto. Genma wasn't so sure about the jinchuuriki kid anymore, and Naruto himself was worried as he stood up.

"Why bother getting up? You can't use chakra anymore since I've closed all of your tenketsu. Hell, even your stamina is affected by this jutsu. It's over."- he asked, now actually wondering why the blonde tried so hard. Naruto laughed. It started as a chuckle, but rose up to an insane laughter as red chakra flowed around his body. This, was of course, a shocking vision to everyone. Not much was known about the Hyuuga's fighting style, but it was known that if someone took that many consecutive hits, it wasn't right for them to be standing.- "What is so funny?"

"The irony. You still talk to me as if you were superior. Man, I'm not from the Hyuuga clan, and even I know that the main branch is better than the Secondary."- apparently this wasn't getting to Neji's thick skull, and so Naruto chuckled a bit more.- "Don't you feel anything weird in your chest?"

"Uh?"- his chest was tingling. He hadn't realized it, but he couldn't feel his chest ever since the preliminaries for some reason. Now the sensation was coming back, and oh, did it burn! He fell to his knees, coughing out blood.- "GAH! What the hell is this?"

"At the preliminaries, Hinata managed to hit you before you hit her. If she had put a little bit of strength behind the blow, you'd be dead. But Hinata is a nice person, and didn't do it out of pity. Of course, a Jyuuken strike is amazingly powerful even without much strength behind it. She hit you so hard, one of your tenketsu points was closed, but since you didn't really use it until today, you didn't realize."- he explained. Neji was shocked, but apparently Naruto wasn't done.- "I'm not the "Yellow Flash"'s son for nothing. I do some planning, and knowing it would probably be useful later, I passed some of my Raiton chakra into your chest when I attacked you. That's why you couldn't feel a fucking thing. I made the electricity deliver a short circuit to your nerves. The moving signals could travel through them, but sensation signals warning you of pain or pleasure, were blocked. Now, your injury has developed since you didn't reveal its existence to a doctor, you didn't even have the chance. But just in case that doesn't work..."

"GAAAHH!"- Neji screamed as electricity spread from the middle of his chest to the rest of his body.

"I've learned a whole lot of things ever since I became a ninja. I was personally tutored by one of the great Sannin. He taught me three very important things. One, remote chakra control, which I just used to activate the lightning that was stored inside your body. Two, that I have two different chakras, my own and the Kyuubi's. The latter doesn't need tenketsu points, and still has my own chakra imprint, which lets me use my jutsu or my former chakra sources, like the one you had inside of you. And Three, an insanely powerful jutsu, created by my own father, that means certain defeat, and in your case, death."- Naruto was performing the confrontation seal with his left hand, triggering his Raiton chakra, while extending his arm, with his palm open and pointed to the sky, forming a ball of red chakra that revolved around itself.- "This piece of art is difficult to use because we have to hit the opponent in the middle of the battle while holding the ball's chakra in. But my Raiton chakra is now spread through your body, paralyzing you. It. Is. Over."

"This is not going to be pretty."- the Third Hokage commented.

"IMPOSSIBLE!"- Kakashi yelled. He couldn't believe his eyes. Naruto, the bloke, had mastered the Rasengan.

"No way!"- Genma followed. Sakura couldn't understand it and quickly approached her sensei, unsure about the ball.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's all the fuss?"- she asked. The Jounin looked at her like she was the most retarded human being in existence before he remembered she had no idea about it.

"That's a jutsu created by the Yondaime. It involves concentrating large ammounts of chakra on top of your palm, make it spin, and have the spinning part of the chakra concentrate and contain the spinning chakra inside. It's of a crazy complexity, hell I don't think I could pull it off."- he explained, getting surprised looks from the Genin around him.- "But it's not just complicated. It's powerful as all hell, and one hit could kill. In the case of Neji, who is wounded, it will kill for sure. It's name is..."

"RASENGAN!"- Naruto ran at the paralyzed Neji, slamming the chakra ball straight into his opponent's torso. He kept it tight against Neji's torso, grinding it in.

"GAAAAAAAAAAHH, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"- the Hyuuga couldn't keep himself from screaming as his skin, muscles, even bones were pushed in. Not just that, the chakra was ravaging his tenketsu points!

It came to a point where the Rasengan exploded, sending him flying back while enveloped in a sphere of air, that stayed around him until he crashed against the wall. The impact was so intense that everyone in the arena was pushed back by the shockwave.

The resulting cloud was so big, that the Hokage, up high in the countertops, had to cover his eyes to keep them from getting dust in. It took several minutes for it to fade away, but when it did, it revealed something that forced gasps out of every mouth in the stadium. Neji was stuck into the wall, or rather, the crater that used to be the wall. His eyes were wide open, his mouth open as well, as if trying to say something. Unfortunately, his chest had been crushed, and that meant no speaky for you. He fell forward, his face hitting the ground. He couldn't move the tiniest of muscles. Naruto approached.

"I'll spare your life for the sake of Hinata. But my word is kept. Your personality and attitude die here. I hope those eyes of yours can reveal more from now on."- he then turned around, releasing the "Endless Flight" seal and talking to the proctor.- "Unless you want him to die from suffocation, internal bleeding, broken bones or a thousand other causes, I'd recommend calling the paramedics. It's up to you, though."

"Your winner, Uzumaki Naruto!"- Genma announced before signaling to the paramedics. They quickly ran in to provide the boy with first aid as Naruto slowly walked away. His face revealed nothing too intricate. He had the face of someone who had just surpassed an obstacle and wasn't planning on stopping soon. He threw a kunai backwards and teleported to it, appearing right by Hinata's side. She hadn't been doing well ever since her match with Neji, and needed full medical support.

"Are you ok, Hinata?"- he asked. She turned to him and nodded with a smile, but he knew she was lying.

"Hey man, don't worry. Anything happens, I'm here to take care of her."- said Kiba, who was sitting right by her. Apparently, ever since Naruto defeated him, he had a whole new respect for the jinchuuriki, and was happy to help with anything. They had become...friends.

"Good win, Naruto-kun. And thank you for sparing Neji nii-san's life."- she complimented with a proud smile on her face.

"Neji was what he was because of certain circunstances in his life. I bet he'll be a better person from now on. And thank you!"- he replied with a warm smile on his.

"Shush, guys. It's Kankuro vs Shino now. At least one of us managed to get this far in the exam."- Kiba announced. Genma summoned the two ninja, but Kankuro didn't seem to be in the mood of giving fucks and forfeited.

"I guess it will be Temari vs Shikamaru."- the following match rivalled Naruto vs Neji's in awesomeness. It was an intense battle of tactician minds, yet very entertaining.

If Temari set a trap, Shikamaru would have a counter trap already set up, but would then be countered again and so on. At first, the villagers seemed angry for not seeing Sasuke vs Gaara already, but quickly shutted up after seeing such an exciting match.

But of course, this match had a flaw. The flaw's name was Shikamaru Nara. Shikamaru managed to outsmart Temari and capture her, but in the end, his lazyness decided to bend him over a table and rape him, making him quit the match just because it would be too "troublesome" to finish. Such a result did not please the villagers.

But they soon shutted up again as Sasuke appeared out of nowhere in a whirlwind of leaves, a smirk on his face. Gaara was shaking, but Naruto was sure he wasn't nervous. It was the nin's insanity that made him so unstable now.

Genma started the match and Sasuke wasted no time. He had seen Naruto's match from a distance and was determined to prove that he had grown as well. He activated the Shunshin no jutsu and engaged Gaara in a taijutsu fight. At first, he wasn't very effective against the sand, but he soon adapted his fighting style to it and Gaara was used to wipe the floor. He then resorted to completely covering himself in sand, as if mimicking Neji's Kaiten philosophy.

Sasuke couldn't have been happier and quickly jumped away, speeding through handseals. As he finished, he took a hold of his right wrist and pointed the palm down. Soon, it was brinking with lightning and releasing a loud sound that could be associated to a thousand birds.

"You're finished. Raiton: CHIDORI!"- he Shunshined over to Gaara, dodged the sand spikes and pierced through both the sand and Gaara's torso with his own hand. The public was astounded, and Gaara himself couldn't believe it for a few seconds before realizing what had just happened.

"MY BLOOD!"

(Ok, school's over and I'm going to start publishing more often. Sorry for taking so long mates, this isn't really easy.)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Sand Demon

"MY BLOOD! GAAAAH! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"- tendrils of sand came out of Gaara, ready to rip Sasuke to shreds. The atmosphere was changing, and soon became filled with killing intention.

Instinctively, Naruto glanced at the Hokage, only to see he had a kunai threatening to slice his throat, being held by the Kazekage. A loud crash was heard outside of the stadium, and feathers started falling out of the sky, giving him an irresistible desire to sleep. _Genjutsu._

"Kai!"- he said while performing the confrontation seal with his right hand, releasing his mind of the illusion. Every single villager fell asleep, and only the highest of Genin, Chuunin and Jounin managed to stay awake.

Looking back to the middle of the arena, he saw Sasuke standing a few meters away from Gaara, who had a monstrous arm and tail made out of sand. _What the hell is that?_

"Hinata, I know you are hurt, but can you use the Byakugan to see what the hell is that, and what is happening out of this stadium?"- he quickly asked. She nodded and performed the Hyuuga's variation of the tora handseal, closed her eyes and opened them again.

"G-Gaara's arm and tail are of gigantic chakra! A-And there's a giant three headed snake out of this arena!"- she announced. Kiba sniffed the air and quickly nodded.

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"- Gaara shouted, pushing Kankuro and Temari away, but quickly being stopped by Baki.

"The operation has begun, snap out of it! Gaara is the trump card of Sunagakure! Take him away, tend to his wounds and have him transform!"- he ordered before turning to Sasuke and Genma.- "I'll take care of these guys."

"You really think your plan's going to work?"- Genma asked, a smirk on his face.- "Sasuke, you've already achieved Chuunin level. Put your training to good use and chase after Gaara. I'll stay here and finish things off."

"Not so fast!"- Baki threw kunai at the running Sasuke, but they were quickly deflected by Genma's own kunai, allowing the Uchiha to jump out of the stadium and run after Gaara again.

Meanwhile, in the countertops, Naruto analyzed the situation. _The Sandaime is currently locked in a barrier that not even the ANBU black ops soldiers can penetrate. But he is only fighting one guy, so I bet he'll be ok. The village is going to be ravaged by that three-headed snake if one doesn't do something. However, Sasuke is chasing after those three all by himself. He's already used a whole lot of chakra in Chidori, and with his cursed seal mark, he won't last long._

Knowing what to do, he jumped down of the countertops and performed a handseal sequence in the air, before striking his palm down.

"Kuchyiose no jutsu!"- a gigantic cloud took place below him. A flute sound could be heard in the distance, which meant Sakura was waking up every sleeping Leaf ninja, while placing genjutsu on the Sound and Sand ninja. _She truly is talented, but yet again, so am I!_

*Insert "Gamabunta's Theme Here*

The cloud dissipated revealing a gigantic toad with a katana sheathed on his right side. He looked fierce, and everyone stopped fighting to see what had just arrived. Naruto was standing with his arms crossed on the toad's head, looking like he wasn't in a mood to play.

"Oh hey kid, what's the problem?"- the toad asked, as if they had already met various times. Naruto pointed towards the snake.

"We were betrayed, Gamabunta-oyabin (boss). Sunagakure and Otogakure ninja are attacking. Our ninja can hold them, but those snakes are going to be a pain in the ass. Can you take care of them while I go take the Ichibi down?"- Naruto asked. The toad smile.

"Going after Tailed Beasts alone. You remind me of your father, but you're not strong enough yet. Take my son with you, alright? He needs to practice on his fighting and you need a helping hand."- Bunta replied with a smile. Naruto smiled as well and quickly conjured Gamakichi.

"Hi pa! Hi Naruto! What's up?"- the small toad that looked like a miniature of his gigantic red father greeted.

"Feel like monster hunting, Kichi?"- the toad jumped onto Naruto's shoulder and received one of Naruto' special kunai. He rolled it in his tongue a bit before spitting it out. The kunai had been spat with such pression that it seemed like a bullet. The jinchuuriki grabbed Gamakichi and quickly teleported appearing by the kunai and running past the destroyed forest that indicated where Gaara had gone through.

Gamabunta looked back, smiling at how his son and Naruto were already using teamwork._ Those two will be like me and Jiraiya. _He thought to himself right before unsheathing his katana and jumping out of the stadium to attack the three-headed snake.

Naruto was almost reaching his target when he felt someone approach from behind. Not an amazing chakra reserve, but it was familiar.

"Shino? What are you doing here?"- he asked, not even looking back. The Aburame boy had been following him all along.

"Two versus Two and a monster? I didn't like the odds you and Sasuke are up against, so I came to help."- he answered, catching up to the Uzumaki.- "I've placed a female bug on Sasuke, and so can tell his position and status. Things do not look good, he is nearly out of chakra."

"I see, thanks. What else do your kikaichu detect?"- the Aburame were a clan known for letting bugs live inside their bodies and feed off of their chakra, but that could later use those bugs in battle, inteligence recon or hunting missing-nin. Shino was no exception, and he was known as the most talented individual of the Aburame in the last three generations.

"Gaara's chakra reserves keep augmenting. They are so large that his siblings, Kankuro and Temari, are scared of him."- Shino replied. He had seen a lot of chakra reserves in his life, but this one was impressive.- "I've never seen such a large chakra reserve except for yours."

They were forced to interrupt their chat when two poisoned kunai came flying directly at them.

"Shit!"- Naruto managed to drop a kunai, grab Shino and Gamakichi before using the Hiraishin technique.- "That was a close one."

"Tell me about it. Thanks for saving my hide."- the Aburame said. Naruto nodded before taking a look around. Kankuro was standing in front of them while controlling Karasu, his death puppet who was apparently the responsible one for the kunai.

"You're not going to pass! Forget about it!"- the puppeteer taunted. Naruto smirked and fistbumped Shino.

"I'll stay here Naruto. Go ahead. If there's someone who can stop that freak, it's you."- Shino said, bugs forming around his hands.

"Catch up to me later?"- Naruto asked.

"Sure thing."- Shino replied. The jinchuuriki smiled and quickly ran forward, knowing how much of a lie that was.

"I won't let you!"- Kankuro threw a dozen kunai at the Uzumaki, but they were all blocked by Shino's bugs.

"You forfeited earlier, but we're still going to have our match, you and me."- the Aburame proclaimed, sending torrents of bugs after the Sunagakure nin, who smirked and immediately focused on his opponent.

"Doesn't matter anyway. At the state he is in, Gaara won't be defeated by anyone."- this didn't encourage Naruto very much. But he still owed Kankuro one for those poisoned kunai, and quickly threw one at Karasu, teleporting to it and placing a seal on the puppet before teleporting away again.- "What was that, blondie? You decide to put your hand on my puppet? That's it? Jeez, you Konoha guys are really fucked up in the head."

Naruto smiled and ignored the insult. He had given Shino a kunai of his earlier. The only thing that Shino had to do was run his chakra through it and he'd be right on Karasu, ready to kill Kankuro. The scream of pain he heard a few seconds later, confirmed it.

"Gamakichi, can you feel anything in front of us?"- Naruto asked. The toad performed the ram seal and concentrated for a few moments.

"I can sense a freak of nature with colossal ammounts of chakra, the nice Sunagakure girl with some chakra but who is scared to death, and I can feel that friend of yours, Sasuke. He's not doing well. He's beaten to a pulp and I think his dark seal his loose."- the toad answered. Naruto didn't like those odds. Now he had to face a whole Bijuu by himself. As much as he hated to admit it, Gamakichi still wasn't good in combat, but he would have to do. Tightening his fist, he fastened the pace.

Three minutes later, he came to see a scene he hadn't seen in some time, when they fought Zabuza. Sasuke was lying on a tree branch, his seal had spread across his entire body and he was seemingly paralyzed. Temari was terrified in a corner, looking up. Naruto looked up to see that Gaara now had his whole right side, including the leg, plus the left arm turned into the Ichibi.

"FINALLY! THE ONE THAT MY DEMON CALLS BROTHER HAS ARRIVED! NOW IT'S TIME TO SEE WHO CAN PROVE THEIR EXISTENCE BETTER!"- Gaara screamed at him, sand shuriken being immediately sent. Naruto barely managed to dodge them, and was getting up when he heard a flute sound. Sakura was coming.- "IF IT ISN'T THE ANNOYING PINKY. SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"GAAH!"- Sakura yelled as the wave of sand that Gaara threw at her hit her and carried her in the air until they mashed against a tree. It was an instant knockout. The sand enveloped every part of her except for the head, and attached itself to the tree.

"THAT SAND WILL TIGHTEN UP EVERY MINUTE UNTIL SHE DIES OR I'M DEFEATED! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW, HUH?"- the monster shouted at him. Now he was completely enveloped in sand, looking like an animal. Naruto just lost his patience then, and reached for his pocket. _I feel 50 kunai._ He grabbed all of them and threw them up in the air, waiting for them to fall all around the battlefield.- "HAH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO USE THAT!"

"Shit..."- the beast simply waved with his arm and all of the kunai flew away. Naruto clapped his palms together, preparing the Endless Flight, but the monster spat a ball of condensed air at him. The chakra molded inside it was enough to kill.

"NO JUTSU FOR YOU! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"- The Uzumaki bowed his head and closed his eyes.

"Naruto nii-san, we have to do something!"- Gamakichi squealed as more condensed air balls came flying at them.

"I know!"- the jinchuuriki waited for a moment before disappearing. Something that surprised everyone.

"What? But he didn't have any kunai!"- Temari said. Gaara himself was confused. Naruto appeared right in front of him and punched his face, disappearing and appearing behind him to kick his back before disappearing again. He was like a swarm of bees, attacking from every possible spot almost at the same time!

"GRAAAH! DIE!"- Gaara shot a hundred of sand shuriken to every possible place he could send them to. But still, the jinchuuriki was not hit by any of them.

"Hey toad! Come here! It's not safe there!"- called Pakkun, the ninken that had come with Sakura. Gamakichi nodded and jumped off to join him.

"Hey, you're Kakashi's kuchyiose, right?"- Gamakichi asked. The dog nodded before concentrating on the battle.

"Listen, I'm small and you are still young. We're not really the battle type right now, so the best we can do is figure out a strategy and pass it on to Naruto."- they were currently standing right by Sasuke, who was barely conscious.- "How are you doing kid?"

"I'm fine, Pakkun. That guy is out of this fucking world. I used Chidori three times on him today, and he doesn't even have a wound to tell the story..."- the Uchiha replied. The dog nodded before explaining.

"That's because he is on a whole new power level. You know how Naruto hosts the Nine-Tails? This guy, Gaara, hosts the One-Tail, or Shukaku if you want to call him by his name. The Shukaku is one of the hardest bijuus to control, because it attaches itself to the hosts psych with all its strength. All of his hosts up until now have been very unstable people."- this was something that surprised both Gamakichi and Sasuke.

"So that's why Temari was so nervous and always kept glancing at her little brother when I was guiding them to the academy!"- the small toad concluded, receiving confused looks from both Sasuke and Pakkun.- "My dad has faced Shukaku one or two times. The scars he has were made by the bijuu, but he also gave that puppy a beating. He told me that this tailed beast is so cruel that it doesn't even let its hosts sleep without releasing himself from the seals."

"So, those rings around his eyes..."

"Are of lack of sleep. He hasn't slept ever since he was born."- the dog explained.

"One thing, though. My dad was the Yondaime's summon. He said that he required these kunai to teleport. How the hell is Naruto-niisan teleporting without the kunai or that Endless Flight seal?"- the toad asked.

"No idea."

Meanwhile, in the fight, Gaara's chances weren't too strong. Naruto was just too fast! As soon as Gaara launched an attack, Naruto was already somewhere else, whooping his ass. How was this possible?

"I suck at ninjutsu! Did you really think that I'd rely just on the Hiraishin? I've been training my taijutsu so hard, and am as fast as I would be if I were able to teleport right now!"- Naruto explained, as if predicting the Sunagakure monster's thoughts.

He quickly kicked off of Gaara, readied the Rasengan on his right palm, kicked off of a tree while kicking Gaara's face, jumped up and fell down with the Rasengan hitting Gaara's torso, pushing him through a branch before seeing the chakra ball shoot off of his palm and carry Gaara through every branch all the way until he crashed against the ground.

"GAAAAH!"- the monster screamed.

"GAARA!"- Temari couldn't believe it. No one had ever beaten Gaara in this state, except for her father, and he was the Kazekage! Who the hell was this Genin? But there was no time to wonder, she had to stop him and fast, or the mission would fail. She took out her fan and readied it.- "Ninpou: Kamaitachi!"

"Oh, no you don't!"- Gamakichi readied the ram seal and spat three little fire balls that spreaded with the wind's oxygen and followed it, reaching Temari. She jumped back and fell head first, the fire forming a circle around her.

She managed to roll back and land safely, but the fire was blocking any escape route except up. She jumped, but Naruto was already falling at her. Temari tried to use the fan to blast him away, but it was too late, and he placed a seal on said weapon before running away. After a second, the seal started to shine and it exploded with enough force to blast the Sunagakure kunoichi several feet back, making her crash against a tree, cough blood and pass out._ Two down._

"GOOD, YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME POWERFUL! IT TAKES HATE! IT TAKES CARING ONLY FOR YOURSELF! YOU'VE ALREADY FORGOTTEN YOUR FRIEND!"- Gaara shouted at him. Naruto turned to him and smirked, something that deeply disturbed the Kazekage's youngest son. The beast took a look at Sakura, but she wasn't there anymore. Someone had blown the tree apart. And then he noticed it. Sasuke, Pakkun, Gamakichi and Sakura weren't there anymore. This enraged the monster, and he started to grow. He grew so much that he became has large as Gamabunta. It was, disturbing to say the least. He looked like a giant tanuki who had a gigantic tail with it. Gaara was coming out of his forehead, performing the ram seal.- "Ninpo: Tanuki Neiri no jutsu!"

"..."- Naruto saw Gaara fall asleep before his eyes, and the Shukaku coming to consciousness. The words of Gamakishi raining in his head. _If the host falls asleep, the Shukaku's reins are cut and he is free to run wild._ He decided to place a strong blow on Gaara's head, wake him up and diminish the beast's power.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FINALLY I AM FREE! FINALLY I CAN KILL AND DESTROY ALL I WANT! HAHAHAHAHAH"- the Bijuu squealed in delight before spotting Naruto and Temari with his yellow eyes.- "OH LOOK, PEOPLE THAT I CAN KILL! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"

"..."- Naruto looked at Temari and she looked back at him. No words were spoken, but they immediately understood the plan. The bijuu spat a huge ball of concentrated air, and Temari used Kamaitachi to deflect it away. She continued calling for its attention while Naruto readied himself. The tanuki spat another ball, and Temari used the same jutsu as Naruto placed a seal in the sky. The seal absorbed both of the jutsu, and he threw Nuibari at the beast, who blocked it with its left paw. The sky seal opened again and both of the jutsu collided against him. The air ball exploded, and the Kamaitachi spreaded, cutting both of its paws off.

"GAAAAAH!"- the beast screamed. Naruto used Hiraishin to teleport to the seal that he had placed on Gaara when he hit him with the Rasengan. He teleported and kicked Gaara right in the face, waking him up.- "NOOO! THIS IS SOO UNFAIR, I'VE ONLY BEEN OUT FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES! THIS SUUCKS!"

Nothing was heard as the beast went right back into the redheaded child, leaving them without strength. As a result, both Gaara and Naruto fell down to the ground. Gaara's sand managed to make the fall lighter, and Temari used the wind to cushion Naruto's landing, but both fell like ragdolls in the end.

It took them about five minutes to get up. Both were physically and spiritually exhausted. Chakra was dry as well. For Gaara, the Shukaku decided to use his chakra, and those air balls weren't light on the reserves. Him getting out and inside in such a short span of time was more than exhausting, and if he could sleep, he would.

For Naruto, well, he had fought Neji, Temari, Gaara and the Shukaku in one day. That was pretty self-explanatory.

They managed to stand up, for the amazement of Temari. _Just who in the hell is this Uzumaki guy? I've never seen someone defeat Gaara, so much for defeating him and the Shukaku! He's kind of hot though. Wait, snap out of it!_

"My...existence...will...be...proven. You...aren't...going...to...erase me!"- Gaara muttered, stumbling over to Naruto. He tried to punch him, but Naruto held his fist with his left hand.

"You were wrong. Real strength comes from having someone or something you want to protect. Fighting to protect them is what makes you strong!"- he punched Gaara straight in the face, making him fly back. He didn't get up any more.

The blonde then proceeded to grab Gaara's tunic and drag him over to the village, to the shock of Temari.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

A Funeral and a New Life

Two days had passed since Orochimaru's attack to Konoha and his attempt of assassinating the Hokage. His plan had failed in everything. Well, almost everything.

The attack to the village itself had been an epic failure, since the Sound ninja were pretty much cannon fodder, and the Sand nin gave up on fighting when they found out the Kazekage was dead.

Gaara's attack was obviously a failure as well, since Naruto managed to repel it so effectively and later sealed the Sunagakure jinchuuriki, letting him sleep for the first time in his life. But one thing had gone well. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who Naruto had the pleasure to call friend and teacher, had died.

The village organized a funeral, which pretty much everyone attended. Every single person wore black and brought flowers for the old man. It was raining on that day, and the villagers later included in their stories that the gods themselves cried.

It was a solemn cerimony. Kakashi didn't even arrive late then, out of respect. Most of the people stuck to laying their flower and bowing their heads in respect, but some of the closest ones had speeches prepared. Sarutobi Asuma, Sarutobi Konohamaru, Jiraiya, Kakashi and some of the Jounin. The last of them was Naruto.

"Sarutobi no gii-san was one of the few people who didn't resent me for having the Kyuubi inside my body. He took care of me ever since I was a child, and acted like a grandfather. He tried to teach me jutsu, bought me ramen, gave me my own living place and many other things. But the best he gave me was love. He gave me love when no one else did. He had patience when I acted like a brat, and never for one moment did he stop believing in me. All in all, he was a great man who deserved better than to die at the hands of his rogue student in some stadium. I hope my words can honour him, but I'm pretty sure that his qualities can't be described using only words."- the Uzumaki spoke, making all of his emotions felt using just a few words. His speech drew tears out of every single person in the ceremony. He turned to the Hokage's memorial and ashes and approached before bowing.- "Thank you for everything, and I swear I will avenge you."

Many speeches were just like his, but none as touching. Hiruzen used to say that Naruto had a charisma like no other. The people thought of Naruto as a person with feelings that day, and not just some animal that threatened their confortable existence.

Of course, they didn't stop being so shallow. Not even two days after the Hokage's funeral, the people were already talking about who was going to be the new Hokage, who could be powerful enough to become the next?

Naruto didn't care about the Hokage position. Not at the moment, since it brought so much pain to his heart.

And that was why he had accepted to go with Jiraiya and train for a month while they searched for some woman. Apparently, she had been missing, and needed to be found. The Sannin didn't reveal much to Naruto, but the latter was going to learn a new technique, so he didn't really bother with the extra information.

They were supposed to head to Tanzaku Town, but knowing his teacher, Naruto readied himself for a couple of stops in hot springs and brothels before they reached said town. They quickly headed out and set off.

The trip wasn't boring at all, since Jiraiya was a joker and kept playing pranks. He taught the young Genin, or better, Chuunin as he was nominated a day before, a bunch of new ways to use the Hiraishin, and a freakishly effective chakra control which allowed him to walk on almost anything.

He also promised to teach Naruto a whole new technique that would surpass Chidori and even his sensei's Raikiri.

This was more than enough to get him excited, and he quickly forgot all of the "research" time that his mentor took.

They stopped at a cheap hotel halfway through their journey. Apparently, Tsunade, the lady they were after, had gone through that little town, and Jiraiya needed to visit the bars and restaurants to gather information, making the occasional hooker stop. Occasional being at least four times a day.

And that was the story of how Naruto was forced to spend a day inside that old, boring hotel. He tried to make it fun by practicing the technique Jiraiya was trying to teach him, but it was pretty hard to practice something unfinished. _You're supposed to create the technique yourself._ His words resounded in Naruto's head. The Sannin wanted the jinchuuriki to instigate his Raiton element in the technique, something his own father wasn't able to do. Needless to say that it was the hardest thing Naruto had ever done, but it was coming along nicely. According to his mentor, he was halfway through it.

He was simply walking through one of the hotel's corridors when he felt something strange in the air. The air was heavy with chakra. Large quantities of it. No, large quantities was a stupid thing to say. They were abnormally large.

He looked back to see two tall people, wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them walking up to him. Both had straw hats with small bells on them, but their characteristics weren't hidden.

One, the tallest, had a fish like head and blue skin, accompanied with blue spiky hair and a Kirigakure scratched forehead protector. In addition to this, he had a big bandaged sword on his back. The sword itself had large ammounts of chakra.

The second one was a little shorter, but still tall in comparison to most people. He had dark hair in a ponytail and an X-like scar on his face. He seemed familiar for some reason, and Naruto couldn't quite place it until he opened his eyes. He had a three-tomoed sharingan. _Uchiha._

"You're Uchiha Itachi, aren't you? And you, with Samehada, you're Kisame Hoshigaki, right?"- Naruto had read a whole lot on missing-nin ever since Jiraiya became his mentor. _It's every shinobi's duty to kill or capture missing-nin._ He said. So he eventually became familiar with the faces of the Seven Legendary Swordsmen of Kirigakure, and the former ANBU captain and prodigy, Uchiha Itachi who slaughtered his own clan.

"This is a bright one. The last jinchuuriki we fought was a bloody idiot."- the shark-like missing nin commented. His partner didn't answer.

"Naruto-kun, you're coming with us."- Itachi said, as if Naruto didn't have a choice at all. He was about to attack when a sparkle was heard behind them. The two kidnappers turned to see Sasuke ready with his Chidori.- "Sasuke, long time no see."

"Itachi...you told me that if I wanted to kill you, I had to despise you, hate you and live in an unsightly way. You told me to run and cling to life, and when I had the same eyes you did, to come before you. Well, I say FUCK THAT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"- Sasuke shouted, the Chidori becoming more powerful.- "NARUTO, LET'S DO IT!"

"Hehe, thought you'd never ask."- the Rasengan started to form, and both of the Genin disappeared. They appeared again, Naruto in front and Sasuke behind Itachi, both clashed Rasengan and Chidori against the S-rank ninja.

"MANMOSU RENDAN! (Mammoth Barrage)"- they both shouted at the same time. The corridor exploded with the force of their combined jutsu.

Next thing they knew, they were outside. Naruto and Sasuke's right arms were steaming and smoke came from them. Kisame was unscathed but worried. _Itachi-san is stronger than myself, but such a technique would have harmed me lethally. _He thought to himself.

Itachi was in the middle of a crater, smoke coming out of his torso and back. He wasn't going to die, but he was heavily injured. He had managed to deflect both of their attacks, but they were still too strong.

"What in the hell is going on here?"- Jiraiya asked, appearing out of nowhere to see the Uchiha on the floor and Kisame grabbing his Samehada.

"Itachi, you know I'm always up for a fight, but he's a Sannin and you're injured. We should get going."- the swordsmen suggested, receiving a nod from Itachi.

_ I'm pretty sure I could take one of them down, but I'd die anyway, and then Naruto and Sasuke would be in danger. Best to let them go._ Jiraiya thought to himself. Kisame placed one of Itachi's arms around the back of his neck and smiled.

"Don't think this is the last time you'll see us, Kyuubi. The Akatsuki will gather all of the Bijuu."- and they disappeared in a puddle of water.

"Come on boys, we should get going. Sasuke-"- the Sannin turned to face Sasuke, but he was on the ground, passed out.- "Crap, Naruto, take a hold of him. Let's get him to the hospital before heading out."

A day later, they were heading out again. Sasuke, according to Jiraiya, had been caught in some sort of genjutsu from Itachi, and his mind had been disturbed. The Sannin also said that the quicker they found the woman they were after, the quicker Sasuke would be ok. _She's the best medical ninja in existence._ He said. This only motivated Naruto to search faster.

And that is how they found Tsunade, Jiraiya said she was called, a mere day after. They were stepping into the twentieth bar that day, when they saw a blonde woman with two ponytails accompanied by a woman with short dark hair carrying a small pig.

Tsunade, aside from her two blonde ponytails, was light-skinned and fairly tall. She had a violet rhombus mark on her forehead, something Naruto wanted to ask about, but that knew wasn't polite to do so. She looked about twenty five years old even though Jiraiya said she was in her fifties. She had a rather large bust. According to Jiraiya, it was 106 centimetres in circumference. She was rather pretty, and Jiraiya told Naruto that she was considered the most beautiful kunoichi in the world. She wore a grass-green haori with the kanji for gamble written in black on the back, inside a red circle. Underneath, she wore a grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves, held closed by a broad, dark bluish-grey obi that matched her pants. Her blouse was closed very low, revealing even more her sizeable cleavage. She wore open-toaded sandals with high heels, and perhaps the most noticeable piece in her garments, she wore a green crystal necklace, that Naruto wanted for some reason.

Shizune, Jiraiya said she was called, was a fair-skinned woman of average height and slender build with black eyes and hair. Her hair was straight and shoulder-length with bangs that covered her ears and framed her face. She was wearing a long bluish-black kimono with white trimmings, held closed by a white obi, and open-toed sandals with low heels.

"Tsunade, long time no see. You're still as pretty as ever. And as hot as ever. And...well, you get the picture."- Jiraiya greeted. Tsunade bowed her head with her back turned to them and took a deep breath, as if deciding wether to run or run. She took option C and turned around with a smile on her face.

"Oh hi Jiraiya. Still as pervy as ever, I see. Oh look, you've got some derp to mentor. How are you derp?"- she replied. _Cold disguised as warm. Good to send people away, but we're not mere people._ Naruto smiled and quickly shook her hand.

"Hello! It is so nice to meet old Tsunade in person! In your fifties and still walking, huh? Poor you, would you like to sit down?"- Shizune's eyes widened at Naruto's response, and she was trembling as if awaiting a grave danger to strike them down. The atmosphere around Tsunade changed, and even Jiraiya took a few steps back.

"What the hell do you two want? Say it before I lose my patience and kill you both!"- she roared, making everyone in the bar shut up. The owner was trembling himself, trying to decide wether to shut up or to shut up.

"Well-"- Jiraiya started, but was quickly interrupted by Naruto.

"Ero-Sennin here was too lazy to accept the job as Hokage, and so he wants you to become Hokage instead."- he explained before turning to his mentor again.- "Yeah, I knew. I'm the son of the Yondaime, I'm not that stupid, you know?"

"Pscchhhtt-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU...HAHA...YOU REALLY...HIHI...THINK THAT I'LL... HAHAHAHAHA...TAKE THE HOKAGE PLACE?"- Tsunade managed to say between laughs.- "ONLY IDIOTS TAKE THAT JOB!"

"Tsunade, be reasonable. I'm the weakest out of the Three Sannin, and Orochimaru tried to destroy the village, so I think he won't be available."- as he spoke, Jiraiya felt Naruto poke his arm plenty of times as if calling for attention.- "What?"

"Actually, Orochimaru is no longer the strongest. He is now the weakest. Sandaime Hokage no gii-san didn't go down without a fight. The elders asked me to analyze his body since I'm the best with seals in the village. He used my father's Shiki Fujin, or Dead Demon Consuming Seal to take the reanimated First and Second Hokage's souls, plus Orochimaru's arms' souls. He can't use any ninjutsu now."- he explained, surprising the two Sannin and Shizune as well.- "Before you ask, it was easy to decipher all that because of the seal on his stomach."

"Oh well, whatever! I'm not taking the Hokage seat! Forget about it! Only idiots would!"- Tsunade replied again, stubbornly. Naruto bowed his head and the atmosphere around him changed, something that didn't go unnoticed by the female Sannin.- "What is it, kid? Did I hit a soft spot? Huh?"

"Don't talk about the Hokage like that you old hag!"- he said. Shizune was currently digging a hole through the ground to hide in, and it didn't take long for Jiraiya to join her and help.- "You have the kanji for "gamble" on your back, right? Well, let's make a bet! I fight you outside, if I win, I get that awesome necklace and you have to become Hokage."

"And what if I win?"- she replied.

"You get every single penny that's inside Gama-chan!"- Naruto took out his frog coinholder, which was full and almost bursting.

"Fine! Let's start right now!"- she dragged him outside and showed him her right index finger.- "I'll beat you using only this!"

"Don't underestimate me!"- he scattered special kunai all around the deserted street and performed the confrontation handseal before disappearing and appearing all over the place.

"What?"- Tsunade muttered. _Impossible! That's the Second and the Fourth's Hiraishin jutsu! How did this kid master it?_ she thought to herself. But she didn't have much time to think as Naruto teleported close to her and engaged her on a taijutsu match. His hits were heavy, she had to admit, but one hit from her and he would go flying away. She managed to block his fifth blow and flicked his forehead with said index finger. He went flying and tumbling backwards.

"Crap!"- he bit his thumb and crossed his right palm with the blood before speeding through handseals. _Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram._ He pointed his palm behind him and a contract seal appeared in the air.- "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

"Just a kid and he already knows the Kuchiyose?"- Shizune asked, dumbfounded. Jiraiya couldn't be more proud as a slightly larger Gamakichi and another toad about his size were spawned and stopped Naruto's tumbling.

"Hey, Naruto nii-san! Meet my bro, Gamatatsu!"- the red toad greeted, excited as always. His brother was of a dim yellow and looked a little larger, but a little more Happy-Go-Lucky than Gamakichi.

"Hello!"- Gamatatsu greeted as well.

"Hi Gamatatsu, welcome to the gang. Listen, can you and your bro keep that lady busy?"- he asked. The two toads gestured with their hands as if answering an army captain before Gamakichi spat fireballs and Gamatatsu spat a stream of water.

Tsunade had a bit of trouble avoiding both of their attacks at the same time. Wherever she looked, there was either a stream of water so concentrated that it cut through most things, or a ball of fire that threatened to burn the pretty out of her face.

What she didn't notice was the blonde kid right behind her who had his right palm preparing and concentrating chakra into a sphere. Gamatatsu and Gamakichi stopped their assault and smiled, something that alerted Tsunade immediately. She turned around, but it was too late. Naruto was already there, mashing the Rasengan into her stomach.

"RASENGAN!"- he shouted, drilling it into her torso. For some reason, he felt a whole lot of resistance, something he hadn't felt with Neji.

"IMPOSSIBLE!"- Tsunade shouted at him, struggling to not get blown away by such jutsu. _The Yondaime's jutsu, it can't be!_ She grunted before being blasted away. The Rasengan expanded and became raw power, enveloping her and carrying her at high speeds against a tree.

"Yes! I win the necklace! You become the Hokage! I defeated a Sannin!"- Naruto yelled in victory, happy with himself. But his hope faded away when Tsunade stood up, a bit of blood coming out of her mouth.

"I'll admit it kid, you're really something. A loser-looking guy like you was not expected to use the Rasengan at all. But that's not enough to take down one of the Three Sannin. I gathered my chakra in the exact spot you hit, so I only took a third of its power."- she explained with a smirk on her face.- "I guess that was your ace in the hole. You have no more weapons, do you?"

"Heh. I have to admit something as well. You Sannin are crazy powerful. But that's not all an Uzumaki, and the son of the Yondaime can do. Gamakichi, Gamatatsu, you're dismissed."- he said. The two toads nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He extended his arm and opened his fist, concentrating a massive ammount of chakra on his palm and creating the Rasengan again. He then proceed to add his chakra nature to it. Electricity began to crackle around it, and Tsunade grew wary. _One hit from that thing and I'm dead, no question._

"NARUTO! STOP!"- Jiraiya ordered, but it was too late. Naruto was already running at Tsunade with amazing speed. If he stopped, it would blow up and he'd be seriously injured. He was just about to mash it into Tsunade again when it crackled again and disappeared.

"Damn it!"- the jinchuuriki complained, trying to force it out. Tsunade was more than impressed, and decided to make a gamble of her own.

"Listen kid, let's call this match a draw and make a new bet. If you get that jutsu completed in a week, you get my necklace and I become Hokage. But if you lose, I'll dry you of every penny."- she suggested. He thought for a moment before shaking her hand.

"You've just signed your contract to become Hokage. Believe it!"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Easier said than done

_ You've just signed your contract to become Hokage! Believe it!_ Easier said than done. Tsunade was known, among other things, as the "Eternal Loser". She had never made a bet and won. But this time, she could get all of Naruto's savings.

If he had to mix the Rasengan with Suiton, Doton, Katon or even Fuuton, it would have been easier. But to mix something so erratic and random as Raiton with something so precise and concentrated as the Rasengan, was madness. The lightning either overcame the sphere of chakra and exploded, or the sphere of chakra engulfed the lightning and made it useless.

He then remembered what Gai had once told him. Sometimes, the answer wasn't in training more. It was in stopping the training.

So he went around town, trying to find the solution like he had before. He went through bars, weapon stores and even by a sushi stand. The owner was teaching his son how to make fried milk balls.

"Dad, they keep breaking! Either I make them too big and vulnerable to breaking, or too small and don't carry much milk inside!"- the poor child complained. His father laughed loudly before showing him one of his balls.

"Daisuke, you need to find balance. An intermediate ball has enough strength hold a nice quantity of milk inside without breaking at all. Then you can cover it with whatever you want."- the elder explained with a big smile on his face. He reminded Naruto of Teuchi Ichiraku teaching his daughter Ayame. But then it struck him. This was the answer! How could he not have seen it? He ran back to his room and began practicing. Four more days to go.

Two Hours Later

"Tsunade, you know it's the right thing to do. You are the niece of the two first Hokages, the strongest of the Sannin and the best medical nin in the world! Who could possibly be better for the position?"- Jiraiya argued for what seemed like ages. He had been sitting at the bar, drinking ever since lunch. She was a heavy drinker, he'd give her that. But even with God knows how many bottles of sake, she would resist his attempts of persuasion.

"You were there when I made a bet with your student, weren't you?"- she replied, using the same sentence for about the sixth time.- "He completes the Yondaime's jutsu in this week, he gets my necklace and I become Hokage. He fails to complete the technique, and I get all of his money. Simple as that. Don't try to coerce me for you will only get frustrated."

"You always were one hard to persuade. That's why I loved you so much. The only one who did not care about charm. That's why you chose Dan, am I right?"- Jiraiya retaliated with a smile. He knew what he was doing. By making her think of Dan, he was making her think of his dream of becoming Hokage and therefore helping his cause. But she wasn't stupid. She was a Sannin for Heaven's sake, she could see right through his strategy.

"Do you really think something like that will convince me? Jiraiya, you're getting old."- Tsunade smirked, frustrating her former colleague furthermore. But Jiraiya wasn't beat yet, and he pulled out his last ace in the hole.

"Not just I. I, you and Orochimaru are all getting old. It's time to give these kids a chance! But it is up to us to guide them in the right direction! If we don't have a stable Hokage, a strong one, the Konoha kids will become just like Orochimaru, filled with hatred for each other. Do you really think that's what Hashirama, Tobirama, Dan, Nawaki and the Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have wanted?"- this had its effects. Tsunade's will was obviously shook by this statement. Jiraiya had always been good with words. This occasion wasn't an exception. She closed her eyes before nodding.

"Perhaps, but I must sleep on it. I'm too drunk to make those kinds of decisions right now, so I'll make them in the morning."- she stood up from her chair and left a couple of ryous on the table.- "Have a good night."

"..."- no answer came from Jiraiya as she left, swaying her hips a bit more than usual to tease him. He then looked at his bottle and laughed. _Tsunade would never do anything like that. Damn sake is __getting to me._

The Next Day

"Jiraiya-sama! Jiraiya-sama please wake up!"- the old Sannin opened his eyes to see Shizune with a terrified and desperate look on her face, shaking him awake. For some odd reason, he couldn't feel his muscles.

"Uh? Sh-Shizune? What's the matter?"- he managed to ask, trying to stand up, but obviously failing at it.

"Tsunade-sama is going to meet Orochimaru right now! She knocked me out to prevent me from telling you, so we have to go fast!"- she quickly explained. This gave Jiraiya half control over his leg muscles. _Tsunade and Orochimaru, this can't go right. He is obviously trying to get her to heal his arms. If I could persuade her a bit yesterday by just mentioning her family, there is no limit to what Orochimaru can do!_

"I-I think she drugged my sake. I can barely move!"- he said, tripping on his way to the door. Shizune quickly healed his nervous system to help it, but it didn't do much. Tsunade was an expert in medical ninjutsu, and had taught Shizune everything she knew. She was no match for her Master's work, she never would be!

"Please, Jiraiya-sama, I know it costs you, but we have to move!"- she tried to help him stand up, but it wasn't as easy as it seemed. Three knocks were heard on the door, and Naruto quickly entered with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Ero-Sennin, I completed the jut-"- he looked at his mentor on all fours with Shizune over him and tried to analyze the situation as quickly as he could.- "Jeez, Shizune-chan, what's this? You could do a whole lot better!"

"WHAT?"- Jiraiya shouted, indignated with his student's insolence. _Oh, when I get full control of my muscles, that brat's going to get it! I'll go into Sennin mode just to hit him! Now, if I could just stand up..._

"Naruto-kun, this is not the time for jokes! Tsunade-sama has ran to meet Orochimaru and she drugged Jiraiya-sama! We need to get to her fast!"- she explained, something that knocked Naruto right into reality.

"Ok!"- he sped through handseals before slamming his palm on the floor.- "Come, Gamakichi, Gamatatsu, Kuchyiose no jutsu!"

"Hello!"- the two toads chanted in unison. They quickly looked around to see Naruto standing with a smile on his face and Shizune over an all-foured Jiraiya.

"Jeez, Jiraiya-sama, my father told me you were quite the playboy!"- Gamatatsu said with the silly smile on his face like always.

"Gamatatsu, we're obviously not here for that. Naruto-kun has conjured us to stop Shizune-san from doing it. She obviously could do better!"- Gamakichi joined in with a serious look on his face as if he had said something of the highest importance. Naruto was about to burst into tears of laughter, Shizune was sighing and Jiraiya was so enraged, he could start spitting fire any second then, something that amused the two toads.

"Grrrr..."- _any minute now, any minute now I'll regain my muscle control and I'll beat these three saps into Oblivion!-_ "If I didn't have any respect for your fathers, I would be kicking your three asses right now!"

"Hehehe, sure Ero-Sennin..."- Naruto replied.

"I'M NOT ERO-SENNIN! MY NAME IS JIRAIYA, ONE OF THE THREE LEGENDARY SANNIN AND I DEMAND RESPECT!"- he shouted, but it didn't have the authority he wanted it to have, and only made them laugh harder.

"Please, everyone, let's take this seriously! We need to get to Tsunade-sama-"- Shizune tried, before her face frowned and she started to laugh as well.- "I-I'm...HAHAHA...sorry Jiraiy-HAHAHAHAHAH...Jiraiya-sama...I just can't...HAHAHA...hold it!"

"God damn it!"- Jiraiya shouted.

It wasn't until ten minutes later that the four managed to stop laughing and helped Jiraiya up. Just in time as well. He was starting to regain control over his chakra, and that could have been ugly. They immediately set out to look for Tsunade and stop her from making a deal with the devil, Jiraiya called it.

"One thing, though, what would Orochimaru have that Tsunade no baachan want? Is it the long tongue that might be very appealing to women?"- Naruto asked. This made Shizune blush as much as one could, and Jiraiya slap him across the face. _The only one who gets to be pervy is me, you brat!_

"Orochimaru conjured the First and Second Hokage when he tried to kill the Third. He can use the same technique to bring back Dan and Nawaki, Tsunade's lover and brother, hell maybe even the rest of her dead family!"- the Sannin explained, performing an half-assed attempt at running on only one leg.- "She has a soft spot for family."

"But it's Orochimaru! Dad said no one, not even his own son or mother would be able to trust him!"- Gamatatsu replied.

"Yeah, that does sound like Bunta. And it's incredibly accurate at the same time. Orochimaru is as trustable to fulfill his part of the bargain as you could trust a snake not to bite you if you slapped it."- Jiraiya responded, now running on two legs even though he looked like a retarded duck performing long jumps.

"Yeah. Dad says that not even Orochimaru's kuchyiose trusts him. He says that Manda, or whatever his name was, always made a deal with Orochimaru before starting to fight, otherwise he would just summon itself away. Dad also says that Orochimaru only fulfills his bargain with Manda because he's afraid of him."- Gamakichi followed. Jiraiya nodded, memories flooding his head. Orochimaru and him used to be like Naruto and Sasuke. Always pushing each other. Until Orochimaru became filled with hatred and followed the wrong path. He prayed to Kami that Sasuke wouldn't follow that path.

Minutes later, they were in a place that seemed like the moon. Craters everywhere, basically. Jiraiya laughed, and Naruto asked why.

"Let's just say that this means Tsunade has been here."- he replied before laughing again. Naruto only became more confused, but thought nothing of it.

They heard loud, crushing noises, and quickly hurried over to see a field with three people on it. Tsunade was running around and trying to punch down Kabuto while Orochimaru simply stood, smiling.

"DIE, WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE!"- she screamed, trying to punch Kabuto, who dodged, and the punch was directed at the ground, creating a gigantic crater. Kabuto was smiling until he saw the newcomers and returned to the side of his master.- "RUNNING AWAY ALREADY? HUH? HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A FIELD MEDIC?"

"Look behind you, Tsunade-sama. Our party has just been interrupted."- the silver-haired boy replied. She looked behind to see a drugged Jiraiya, Shizune, Naruto and two small toads, smiling back at her.

"What are you doing here? This is dangerous! Get the hell away!"- she shouted. _Jeez, she can be quite the warrior when she wants to!_ Naruto thought.

"We came to prevent you from making a stupid deal with that snake!"- Jiraiya replied with an angry face.

"Awh, Jiraiya, my feelings are hurt. We used to be such good friends and you call me that?"- Orochimaru asked in a smug voice.

"Yeah, up yours too, you vile anaconda!"- he said with killing intent. Chakra was concentrating around him.

"Whatever, did you really think I'd take his shittastic deal? Hell. No! I'm not an idiot. Even if he did conjure Dan and Nawaki, they wouldn't be themselves. Just two puppets. I came here to kill him!"- Tsunade explained. Shizune "phewed", the two toads gave her a double thumbs up, Jiraiya smiled and Naruto...why the hell was he playing majong on the grass? He looked up and seemed surprised before gathering the pieces again.

"Oh, are you done? Can we get to the ass kicking part yet? I've completed the jutsu!"- the jinchuuriki exclaimed, excitedly. Kabuto pushed his glasses up.

"If you, Tsunade-sama, are not helping us willingly, we will make you help us by force!"- he ran directly at them, but had to dodge the incoming kunai that Naruto threw. Of course, being Naruto, that wasn't the attack itself. He teleported and kicked his face with all of his strength.

"Not on my watch, bootlicker!"- Naruto replied with a smirk on his face. Kabuto groaned as he saw Jiraiya preparing himself. He ran to Orochimaru, spread his master's blood on his arms and summoned a gigantic purple snake.

Tsunade followed the lead and sped through hand signs before slamming her palm on the ground, summoning a giant slug.

Of course, Jiraiya couldn't do it on his sorry state, but Naruto quickly teleported to him and sped through his own handseals, bit his thumb, crossed his palm with it and slammed it on the ground, conjuring Gamabunta.

"Hey dad!"- Gamatatsu and Gamakichi greeted with joy. As their father realized the situation, he facepalmed himself, or facepawed, or whatever the toads had.

"Why is it that every time I'm summoned lately, you two are involved in a messy situation? First it's the Ichibi, now it's Manda."- he complained, though everyone knew that deep inside, he was proud of his two kids.

"We couldn't miss all the action! Besides, if we will ever become big and strong like you, we need to witness these situations! To get experience!"- Gamakichi was obviously the smartest of the two, but Gamakichi was the funniest and strongest and quickly nodded with a smile before spitting a water jet concentrated enough to cut through one of Manda's horns.

"YAY! IT WORKS!"- the toad squealed, happily. Every single one of the present beings were dumbfounded.

"You...you idiot! Do you realize how badly you just screwed us?"- Gamakichi asked, a non believing look on his face. Jiraiya himself had his mouth open. Tsunade facepalmed and Orochimaru had a strange expression on his face. As if Gamakichi had broken the biggest of rules. He jumped off of the snake and ran as far away from it as he could while still staying in the battle. Bunta readied his katana.

"Get ready, Manda is a furious one, and now, it just wants to kill us with all its heart, if it has one."- and indeed, Manda came flying at them, but by the time it reached them, Bunta was already slicing through it with his katana. The sliced Manda then turned into a shed skin.

"BUNTA, GIVE ME OIL!"- Jiraiya shouted, finally fully recovering his chakra control. The giant toad nodded while he sped through handseals before placing his index and thumb fingers in a ring in front of his mouth.- "KATON: GAMAYUU ENDAN!"

"HIIIISSSSSS!"- the giant snake hissed as it was covered in flamable oil and thend covered in flames. It melted again into a shed skin before coming out of the ground and knocking the katana away. This didn't turn well, though. Two versus one was a two versus one, no matter what. Tsunade grabbed the gigantic Katana and stabbed Manda through the top of its face, it's mouth and it's lower lip, pinning it to the ground.- "D-DAMN IT! OROCHIMARU, YOU WILL GET PUNISHED FOR THIS, I SWEAR IT!"

"One down."- Naruto exclaimed as the snake summoned itself away. Kabuto trembled in frustration and anger and quickly sat up.

"You stupid, lame piece of shit! This is angering me so much! I'll take you down with one blow!"- he ran, chakra creating a blade around his hand. Naruto avoided it, but he kept going for Tsunade.

Naruto threw a kunai behind him, teleporting in front of Kabuto just as he cut through. Naruto himself didn't seem cut, but he surely felt like he was. He could barely breathe and he could feel blood pouring out of his cutted arteries and veigns and filling him inside. But that wasn't all. He was now within fighting distance from Kabuto, and he wouldn't let that chance go to hell. A horrified Tsunade could barely look as he spat out blood.

"I should have guessed...*cough *... a piece of shit like you would have a piece of shit sneaky jutsu like that. But cutting my veigns and arteries won't do shit. I'm an Uzumaki. My life force is extremely powerful. That gives me just enough time to send you to purgatory."- he rose his arm and a Rasengan started forming over his palm.

The Rasengan itself seemed lighter, more concentrated. After a bit, it began shrinking and became so small that it could be mistaken by a white rubber ball. It crackled with electricity around it, and soon the electricity was strong enough to create a radius of effect that engulfed Kabuto and Naruto themselves.

"What the hell?"- Kabuto tried to step away, but Naruto had him inside the prison seal, his own invention. The electricity let no one step through it.

"This is my not so assholic invention."- he slammed it into Kabuto's chest.- "Raiton: UZUSHIOKIRI!"

"GAAAAAAAH!"- Kabuto screamed more than he had ever heard anyone scream, as they both became lightning and flew, hitting a rock and going through it. The gigantic rock itself exploded after they cutted through it.

Or so it seemed, but through Orochimaru's eye, it was all very clear. Naruto had slammed the jutsu into Kabuto, and used his speed to run through all fo the distance and hit the rock, going through Kabuto himself and landing behind said rock before it exploded. _What a jutsu! This kid is too much, maybe even for Sasuke!_

Tsunade couldn't believe her eyes. That stupid brat had not only mastered the Fourth's techniques, but perfected them and performed them while his veigns and arteries were cut._ Is his will to become Hokage so strong that he won't die before it becomes true? _At the corner of her eye, she could see Jiraiya smile with pride. He had been a good teacher. But then she saw something else. Orochimaru was regurgitating a sword and slithering to stab Naruto. She quickly threw herself in the way, getting the middle of her chest pierced.

"W-What?"- the snake asked. Tsunade walked herself off of the blade before placing her necklace around Naruto's neck. She turned around.

"This time, I'm putting MY life on the line!"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Life Isn't a Sea of Roses

Have you ever wondered about one's soul? Have you wondered if it even exists, and if so, where? I have, and I believe it is a bit like this: The soul is present in one's heart, and is the core, the personality of one. Although immune to common attacks, the soul can still be harmed, by other means.

Emotions. That's right, the soul can only be harmed by emotions. A perfect example of this, is Uchiha Sasuke.

We all have heard of his tragic story. He was your common Academy student until one sad day, when he returned home to see every single one of his close ones was dead. Not even the poor old lady who used to hand him candy every morning was spared.

He ran into is house to find his father and mother both dead on the ground, his beloved older brother standing over them.

He was beaten up and mentally tortured by him as well, and was left with nothing but his clothes, his name and a vengeful intent.

His pretty, happy young soul was torn apart and had to be stitched back up with hate. Now look at him. He sits no a hospital bed all day, licking his wounds and asking himself why he was so weak.

_ Everywhere I look, everyone I talk to, I hear of Naruto's victories. Defeating Gaara, perfecting an impossible jutsu, giving Kabuto and Orochimaru an ass whooping... How in the fuck did he get so strong?!_ He asked himself. It was not enough that he kept being defeated, his rival had to win.

_ Fuck it._With this, he jumped out of the window just in time to hear the door open and a girly voice come from inside his room.

"Sasuke-kun, where are you going?"- Sakura asked. He turned around to face her and shrugged before turning again.

"I'm going for a walk. Do me a favor and don't warn the nurse. I just want a bit of time alone."- and with that, he vanished.

Several hours later, he was still wandering around the village with no real destination. He sat by a window in some old building's rooftop and looked at the setting sun with angst. He was just about to give up on whatever he was doing and go home when four shadows appeared in front of him.

"Who's there?"- he asked aggressively.

"Your worse nightmare."- one of the silhouettes answered with a sarcastic tone and a laugh. This only managed to anger Sasuke, and the latter released his seal, covering most of his skin in cursed seal marks.

"Oh yeah? Let's see who's the bigger nightmare!"- he threatened, getting up.

"Great. You always know just what to say, don't you Sakon? Now we have to deal with this piece of shit."- a girly voice commented.

"Shut up, Tayuya, as if you wouldn't do the same."- Sakon replied.

"Knock it off, you two. Let's just get this over with. Orochimaru-sama doesn't like to wait."- and so, the fight began.

Crack, Ugh, Pow, Gah, Smash, FUCK! Were the sounds that followed as the four silhouettes beat Sasuke almost effortlessly, sending him flying against a wall. A cloud moved and uncovered the moonlight, which let the Uchiha have a look at the four.

"Sakon" was a weird guy with short blue hair and a second head on his back. He had his skin covered in black markings, similar to Sasuke's and looked menacing.

"Tayuya", the only girl in the group, had long red hair and an annoyed look on her face. She held a flute and her skin was also covered in dark seal symbols.

The guy who told them to knock it off was a freak. He had four arms and had spider web coming out of his mouth. He had dark brown spiky hair and dark skin.

Finally, there was a really fat guy with orange hair and black guys who was until then, silent. He seemed strong.

Sakon approached.

"Idiot. You're not the only one that Orochimaru-sama favorites. We all have been blessed too."- he explained.

"We were sent on a mission to make you a deal. Orochimaru-sama will provide you with the kind of power we have, because believe me, what you've seen so far is nowhere near the ultimate power of the cursed seal, and you, in turn, become his loyal servant."- Tayuya said. Sasuke thought about it for a bit and was about to refuse when the spider guy laughed.

"Perhaps you still need convincing? Behold the power!"- at his command, every single one of them had their dark seal symbols cover their bodies. Their bodies mutated and became stronger, more predator-like. Sasuke used his Sharingan and could see that their chakra was ten fold what it was before! Thinking wasn't even necessary.

"I accept the deal."

"Good. We'll come to your home at midnight tomorrow. Have your bags packed, because you won't be returning."

From a distance, quietly watching was a blond-haired boy, shaking his head._ Sasuke, what are you doing?_

And that's all for today, folks. Thank you so much for reading this! I will be publishing more soon. If you liked this story, please review and check out my other stories: "Hono the Fox" and my newly published "Jack of all Trades" I promise you'll like them! Please give this later one more love because it's new and has no fans yet xD


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Duck Hunt

"So you're telling me that Sasuke is going to make a run for it?"- Tsunade, the new Hokage asked him. Naruto nodded sadly. This was the first time they had seen him with his open black jacket's hood on. It seemed strangely befitting of the situation.

"It's scheduled for them to meet by his house at midnight. Tomorrow."- if it were any other occasion, Naruto would have been laughing about Tsunade wearing her pijamas (it was two in the morning), but there was a big possibility that his best friend was about to leave the village and become a rogue, and then, he'd have to kill him. That didn't allow him to laugh.

"This has to be leaded by a Chuunin. I'd call Shikamaru, but you're right here anyway, and you're motivated for the mission. I can't send any Jounin or Chuunin with you, but you can pick a team of Genin of your choice to go with you. Four Genin tops, understand?"- Tsunade didn't like to admit it, but she was pretty good at being Hokage. She managed and rationed everything extremely well. Naruto sighed.

"Tsunade no baachan, those four guys, the Kyuubi inside me told me of their power. They'd be able to beat the Ichibi by themselves, so they're at least top Chuunin level. How can I defeat all of them, and, if needed, Sasuke with only four Genin?"- he asked. They were still Genin for a reason. And they didn't have the power to become chakra freaks at will, something that the opponents did have. _How am I supposed to do this?_

"You're a Chuunin, it's about time for you to learn what it means to be a leader. You have to work with what you have, and most of the times, in war, you only have a handfull of people. It'll be a good experience for you. Now go, I want my sleep."- and with that, she closed her door on his face._ Just great. I need to make the perfect Genin team. What Genins do we have that can actuall defeat those Sound ninja?- _"And get the hell away from my front door!"

"Alright, alright! Jeez!"- he quickly hurried away, coming to a stop at a 24/7 shop. He bought a popsicle and started sucking on it, something that had always helped him concentrate. _Let's see, that two-headed guy, Sakon, seemed like an offensive type and quickly knocked Sasuke around with punches and kicks, so I'm going to need a striker, an offensive type for the team. After that we have that big fat guy. He didn't fight much, but I could see it was all strong taijutsu and earth style techniques, so for him I either want a smart, quick fighter like me or a lightning user. He'll also need good chakra reserves. That's going to be hard to find._

Naruto sighed. Why were things never easy? Couldn't just one day be an easy-going day where he didn't have to fight someone to prove himself like Kiba and Neji, or fight someone to the death to save his own ass and his teammate's? _If you wanted an easy life, why did you join the shinobi?_ He heard the Kyuubi talking from inside him. _Yeah, you're right. Though, I wish I was a cloud. They are so free..._

(This music is suprisingly befitting of this "lazy" mood. watch?v=JnFhHPvE_kE)

_ So, let's see. The other two people were the red-haired girl and the spider freak. The girl was carrying a flute like Sakura, so she probably uses genjutsu. Great, we have to find someone smart enough to resist genjutsu and to counter it._

_ And lastly, we have that spider guy. He seems to be a good strategist and a long-range attacker. If we could get a good long-range or close-range fighter against him, that'd be just right._

Naruto stood up with new motivation. _So, we need a striker against Sakon, someone smart enough to use the fat guy's attacks against himself, a genjutsu user against Tayuya or whatever her name was and a long-range or close-range combatant against the spider one. Let's start with Sakon._

Konohas supply of striking Genin was limited, or better, Konoha's supply of capable striking Genin was limited. Naruto needed someone that he knew could take Sakon's hits and pay him back with the same coin.

_As strikers, from the capable eleven good Konoha Genin I've got to pick, I only have five. Neji, Kiba, Chouji, Lee and Hinata. Chouji's too slow, so he's out. Sakon's too strong for him. Kiba is a hit and run guy, and likes to focus his power on one technique. I don't think that'll be enough to defeat the Sound nin. Lee can land some nice hits and protect himself, but his fight with Gaara broke all of his bones, so he's out of the question. We've got Hinata and Neji. I don't know if I can trust Neji, but Hinata is the one I love, and she might get hurt._

_** Kid, this is serious. You've become a team captain and have to make decisions. You can't let emotions control you. You know very well which one you should take with you, you just don't like it.**_

_ You're right, Kyuubi-chan. Hinata is stronger than Neji, can protect herself well, is a capable fighter and could act as a healer for the team with her ointment stuff. I'll take her._

He quickly hurried over to the Hyuuga estate. _Damn it, what should I say? "Hey Hinata, want to come for a dangerous mission that might kill us both?" or "Hinata, you have been summoned for a mission to save a lost colleague..."_

_** What you say doesn't matter, it's how you say it. As a leader, it's your duty to keep morale up, so don't tell her you're going to die. Just go with the flow and say what you think of on spot.**_

_ Huh. And they said you were a horrible beast uncapable of caring about humans and wishing for their demise with ever bit of strength you had._

_** Like it or not, I was basically created by a human, so it's pretty much my duty to take care of humans and follow orders. Now stop stalling.**_

He entered the estate and quickly noticed something weird. _Where are the guards?_ He went further into the place and couldn't find anyone. He felt something moving behind him and quickly ducked, avoiding a Jyuuken strike that would have caused sure death. He rolled forward before using the momentum to jump higher and throw kunai behind. Kunai that were nullified with a Kaiten technique. It was Rozu, the guard that had stopped him the first time he entered the Hyuuga estate.

"You, I knew you weren't worthy of entering the Hyuuga manor. Now you're going to die, thief!"- Rozu threatened, running forward and ready to strike. Naruto simply jumped over him.

"Wait, I'm not trying to steal anything. I need to talk with Hiashi-sama."- he excused himself, although Rozu didn't care and continued his attack.

"Rozu, stop. What do you need Naruto-kun? I woke up as soon as you trespassed."- the Hyuuga leader was right behind them, his combat clothes already on. Naruto let a "phew" out in relief and quickly approached.

"Hiashi-sama, I've been made the leader of a top-secret mission and need to recruit four Genin. Hinata would be very useful to the team."- Naruto explained as quickly as he could. Rozu let out a groan of anger.

"The insolence. Trespassing into the estate and then making such a ridiculous request."- he mumbled. Hiashi paid him no attention and was about to speak when the door opened.

"I'll go."- a familiar voice said. They turned to see Hinata ready to leave. Her outfit had changed. Her hoodie was exactly the same, except that now, it was black and the White Crow symbol was in the back. Her pants were now cargo combat pants, also black and she wore white fingerless gloves. She looked very different, as if she was a full out ninja now. Her forehead protector remained in place, around her neck like a collar, but she kept her ointment and weapons in the various pockets in her pants.- "I want to take this mission."

"If that's what you want, I won't stop you. But I want to say something."- Hiashi interveined. He approached Hinata and kneeled in front of her in order to speak face to face.- "I'm sorry I once said you were a lost cause. It was stupid of me and I regret it every day. You are without a doubt the most talented individual of the Hyuuga Clan and my daughter, and for that, I love you. Go on your mission, and be carefull."

"..."- there was silence for a bit, even Rozu had his mouth open from Hiashi insulting himself. Hinata smiled and let one tear of happiness fall to the ground for hugging her father.- " I love you too, dad. But I have to go now. See you!"

And with that, both Hinata and Naruto ran out of the estate, Hinata asking questions.

"Naruto-kun, what's this mission about?"- she asked.

"I'll explain everything once I've got all of the members gathered up."- _I've got the one to deal with __Sakon. Next is the fat guy.- _"Do you know any Genin that is smart and can turn strong opponent's attacks against themselves? Except Shikamaru, of course. I need a strategist."

"Uhh, how about Shino-kun? He's really smart and he gave that Kankuro kid a beating. He also defeated Zaku."- she suggested. _Shino has the kikaichu which would let him take the fat guy's chakra away, and I heard his taijutsu is pretty solid even though he prefers medium-range fighting. Ok._

"Alright, where's his house?"- she quickly guided him over to one of the more external parts of the village, where people rarely went to. The Aburame had a reasonably large manor, just like the Hyuuga, though their estate was built with a more defensive intention. After a bit of analyzing, Naruto realized that there was really no way to sneak into the house unnoticed. Hinata rang the doorbell, and minutes later, Shino walked out.

"Hello, Hinata, Naruto."- Naruto was pretty sure that Shino couldn't see a damn thing with his black circular glasses on, but before he could ask, two bugs flew from both Hinata and himself into Shino.- "They told me who it was by the chakra's identity."

Shino had also changed his outfit. He now wore a grey hooded jacket and a white t-shirt. His hair was still spiky, though unnoticed under the hood, and his forehead protector was stitched to the back of the jacket. The rest remained unnafected.

"We have a mission."- Naruto quickly explained himself. Shino closed his manor's door, leaving an insect in order to tell his family that he would be away for a bit, and then they ran again.

"So, we've got a strategist and a close combat fighter. Who more do you need?"- Shino asked. Naruto thought for a bit.

"We need a long-range combatant. Any ideas?"- without a word, Shino nodded for them to follow him, and after about five minutes, they were in front of a blacksmith's store. After a few knocks, a strong, dark-brown haired man opened the door. He was about to speak when Shino cut him off.

"Is Tenten here?"

Minutes later, the four of them were running together. Tenten's outfit wasn't much different, though instead of pink, her top was now black.

"We're four now. Isn't that all you needed?"- Shino asked. Naruto shook his head, before they came to a stop.

"We need one more. I need a genjutsu user."- he replied.

"Why not Sakura?"- Tenten questioned. Naruto sighed.

"I wish I could take her. She's really good with genjutsu, but she'd make this too personal and that could bring risks to the team."- Naruto dismissed the idea.

"Does it really have to be a genjutsu user? Who do you want them to fight?"- Hinata joined in. Naruto quickly explained.

"Well, you don't really have to use genjutsu against genjutsu. You can use something else. Another long range can do the trick."- Shino suggested. Naruto thought about it for a second.- "Or even a good close combat. Kiba might be able to do it."

"Kiba's too hot headed. He'd get arrogant and lose."- Tenten replied.

"I like Kiba-kun, but I have to agree with Tenten."- Hinata said.

"Wait, I know just who to call. Everyone, be at the Konoha Main Gates by midnight tomorrow."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sasuke's Rescuing

_ I can feel electricity in the air... _Naruto thought to himself. _Why do I feel electricity in the air?_

_** There's always electricity in the air before a storm comes. Keep in mind, cub, this will be a day to remember. Every single one of the fights will be harsh and will result in a death.**_

_ Yeah, Kyuubi-chan. I'm aware of that. Just hope none of the deaths belong to our group._ Naruto turned around to see that his teammates were approaching, each one from a different path or road of the village. Shino from the West side, Hinata from the East side, Tenten from the North side, and finally...

"Naruto-kun, I've come as you asked. I hope I am not too late."- a female voice was heard. The girl wore the normal Kirigakure pinstriped outfit down to her knees and a black haori over that, and, around her waist was a white sash with a fringed trail that wrapped around her waist twice. She had long black hair gathered in a white bun holder, with two locks loose framing her face. Besides the colour, the only change in her outfit had been the presence (the lack of) the Kirigakure ANBU mask.

"No, you're just on time. Thank you for coming. Sorry if I've messed with your personal life by asking you to come to this mission. How's Zabuza?"- he replied. She smiled.

"Zabuza-san's doing great. He's fully recovered by now and hasn't tried to kill anybody."- was her response. Naruto laughed.

"Who's she?"- Shino asked.

"Guys, meet Haku. This girl here is the one who was the closest to killing me. But I managed to defeat her, and now, here she is."- Naruto explained, a smile on his face. The rest of them looked at him like he was an idiot.- "What?"

"So, she tries to kill you and now you trust her enough to be your partner?"- Tenten asked, trying to get her point through. Naruto laughed.

"Naruto-kun spared my and my master's lives and destroyed the men that tried to kill us again. For that, I'm eternally gratefull, and will always aid when Naruto-kun requires my help."- Haku explained.

"I see. Still, Naruto-kun, what does this girl have that you think is so important for the completion of our mission?"- Hinata questioned.

"Haku is also known as Hyoton no Haku. She's the only known alive ninja who can use the Ice Release. She's very fast and has deadly precision with her Ice Senbon. I think she'd do well against Tayuya."- he was pulling his sleeves up as he spoke, and everybody could now see the scars he had.- "Believe me. I know from personal experience."

They stared at the numerous cave ins and "hole" marks on his arms. Haku lowered her head in guilt. After a moment or two, Naruto covered his arms again and asked them to show what items they had brought.

They all had the basics. Kunai, Shuriken, Explosive Tags, but each one of them had something unique. Tenten carried a scroll that held over a thousand weapons in it, weapons she could easily use at any time.

Hinata had four bottles of ointment, which she handed to each of them. It was a special ointment that she made that could heal wounds in seconds.

Shino had multiple mini paper tags that he could hand to his insects and explode at any time.

Haku had herbs that could numb pain, allowing them to think clearly for as long as they chewed on it.

Finally, Naruto had four paper tags, each with a different seal on them, and each had a different Kanji on them. The Earth one was given to Hinata, the Wind one was given to Tenten, the Fire one was given to Shino, and the Water one was given to Haku.

"Don't you get one for yourself?"- Shino asked. Naruto took another tag out of his weapon pouch and showed it to him. It had a different seal, and the kanji for Lightning painted on it.

"What are these for, exactly?"- Hinata followed. The others nodded, as they were curious themselves. Naruto's face turned into a worry.

"I summoned you guys because we are going to fight strong people. When I say strong, I mean really strong. I can not rule out the possibility that things might go wrong and that we are overwhelmed. If you guys are in battle and you come to a point where you have nothing left, nothing to fight with anymore and know your death is coming, bite your thumb and cross the seals in your tag with a blood line. The rest of the team's tags will shine then, and they should bite their thumbs and do the same. Help will come, that's all I can say."- he explained. Apparently, this gave his partner's a whole new level of respect for the seals as they stashed them away neatly in order to be sure they weren't activated accidentally.- "And just to point out the need to use this as a last resort, keep in mind that this is merely experimental. I was trying to create something new, that could be the turning point of battles, but it hasn't been tested, so I'm not sure towards the side effects, if there are any."

"Ok."- they all said in unison.

"Alright, that taken care of, let me hand you the details of this mission. Sasuke is running away tonight. It was scheduled for our enemies to meet with him at his house by midnight to take him to Orochimaru. Sasuke is doing this willingly, and might be hostile toward us. Our mission is to follow and destroy any of their team members, while capturing Sasuke and bringing him back."- Naruto announced.

"Wait, wouldn't it make a whole lot more sense to just prepare an ambush at Sasuke's house and take them out there?"- Tenten suggested. Naruto shook his head.

"No, for three reasons. First, Sasuke's a genius and would notice us right ahead. Second, these guys don't give a rat's ass about the village and could cause serious damage and civilian casualties just to keep us busy. Third, these guys work for Orochimaru and their mission is to take Sasuke to him. If we follow them long enough, we might be able to discover Orochimaru's current hideout, which can be very helpful for the village."- he explained.

"Do we have any intel on Orochimaru's soldiers?"- Shino asked. Naruto nodded and took out four cards that he had made himself.

"This fat guy here is a user of the Earth style and can drain your chakra. He's also very strong physically. You'll be fighting him Shino. I need someone smart that can turn this musclebrain's strength against himself. Don't underestimate him though."- the blond Genin warned. Shino nodded.

"Who am I fighting?"- Tenten questioned. She pointed at the red-headed girl.- "This one?"

"No, you'll be fighting that one."- Naruto pointed at the guy with six arms.- "Not much is known about him except that he's a long-ranged fighter and likes to play with his "victims". Again, don't underestimate him, I think he's the smart one of the group."

"Ok."- Tenten replied.

"I assume I am fighting the red-head then?"- Haku grabbed Tayuya's card.

"Yes. Tayuya is strong and likes to swear a lot. She's hot blooded and makes rash decisions. She tries to solve everything with brute force, so someone intelligent and calm-minded like you can easily take her out. She uses a flute to perform genjutsu, so watch out for that."- he explained. Haku nodded and took the card to better inform herself. Naruto turned to Hinata and handed her Sakon's card.- "Hinata, as a Chuunin and the leader of this team, I shouldn't get emotionally involved, and I will try not to, but...be carefull. This guy's name is Sakon. He has two heads and has shown to be able to bring out more than two fists into a fight. He trashed Sasuke around like he was nothing and is the strongest of the group. He favors close combat, which is good for a Hyuuga like yourself, but he's very powerful. Again, do not underestimate him."

"Who are you going to fight?"- Tenten asked. Naruto shrugged.

"I don't think Orochimaru would let something as precious as the recruiting of Sasuke fail easily. I'm pretty sure he's got a secret weapon, and whoever that is, that's who I'll be fighting. I can't put any of you against them because my death is more affordable than yours. And even if there is no Secret Weapon, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to fight Sasuke."- Naruto replied.

"If you had to rate any of these guys with a ninja rank, what would it be?"- Shino asked, going straight to the point.

"Jounin, at least."- Naruto answered. The following silence was felt.- "If anyone wants to quit the mission, that's fine and no one will hold it against you. You can simply refuse and walk home, and that will be ok. But if you come with me, you have to listen to every order I give, or we're probably not coming back alive."

His speech obviously melted everyone's hearts and brought them down to Earth. There was a big possibility that they weren't coming back from this mission and that this was the last time they could say anything meaningful at all.

"So this is the life of the ninja that they told us about. We're now going on a mission against odds much superior to us in order to capture someone we used to call friend and bring him back. If we fail at that we either die or have to kill said friend. Huh."- Shino spoke. After a bit, he rose his head.- "I'm going with you. I couldn't show my face to anyone anymore if I backed down now, and I don't want to give my parents any final goodbye. I couldn't bring myself to it."

"Me too. My father rose me to be brave and never back down. I'm going, not just because I want to prove Kunoichi are as good as male ninja, but also to protect all of those that I like."- Tenten followed.- "I'm in."

"I owe everything I have to you, Naruto-kun. My life, Zabuza-san's life, the house we have here and the friends we've made. I'm willing to risk it all for you even if I might die in this mission."- Haku said.

"Naruto-kun, it's because of you that I've become the ninja I am today. It's because of you that I trained hard and became strong. It's because of you that I stand up to myself. And you are the one who helped me find my nindo. My ninja way. To never go back on my word."- Hinata spoke with her head lowered. After some moments, she rose it.- "I said I'd go, and I'm going."

"Good. Now that we're all on the same page, get ready. I stay in the middle so I can hand out orders quickly. Hinata stays at the back of the line so she can see through any ambush we might face with the Byakugan. Tenten stays behind me as a means to delay any enemy attack we might face from behind as well. Shino in the front so he can scout with his insects and Haku in front of me. Anything happens, put up a shield of ice mirrors in order to protect the team. Understood?"- Naruto ordered.

"Yes!"- They all exclaimed at the same time.

They started their pursuit. Apparently, Shino had placed a female bug on Sasuke again, and his insects said he was about a mile away from ran and ran, never breaking formation. No one spoke a word. It was as if all of them deeply understood each other with no need for communication. They were a single unit. Nothing could stop them. Their heartbeats remained calm, even though mentally, they were not. Suddenly, Shino came to a halt.

"They've stopped running. I think they're engaging someone in battle. By the way, the bug I've placed is releasing certain feromones and smells that tell my bugs that they're imprisoned in some kind of cage. Sasuke, I mean."- he announced.

"How long until we get to them? Hinata, check them with your Byakugan!"- Naruto asked. Hinata performed the Hyuuga clan's Tora variation seal.

"I estimate that we take at least 10 more minutes to arrive."- Shino replied.- "What do you think, Hinata?"

"Yes, around that. It seems our targets are fighting two people. Their chakra level indicates Chuunin or Jounin rank. Wait! The people we're chasing have just changed! Their chakra is ten fold what it was mere seconds ago!"- she said. Naruto groaned.

"If those two people are around here, they must be from Konoha. And with opponents like those they might not make it. Everyone, pick up your pace!"

Ten minutes later, they were arriving at the scene. Their targets were on the go again, but the two people that fought them were heavily injured and almost dead, so they had to stop to help out. They saw that one of the two was Genma Shiranui, the proctor of the Chuunin Shiken's third phase. Naruto interrogated him as Hinata and Tenten did their best to heal him.

"So you were just on patrol duty when you found these four? You engaged them and they beat the crap out of two of Konoha's Jounin?"- Naruto asked, a bit cynically.

"You have no idea how they are. As soon as they spotted us, their very bodies mutated and they hit us with all they had. Those freaks... I have no idea how we survived."- Genma excused himself and his colleague. Naruto sighed.

"If you had just stay put. We've been charged with the mission of tracking and killing them. If we send a flare to alert Konoha so they can come get you, the four will know of our presence."- Shino warned. Naruto went into deep thought.

"We're not the only ones. We have two teammates. They can find us. Just go and get them! They're carrying a big wooden cillinder so they can't move fast at all."- the other Jounin ordered. Naruto nodded and signaled for the others to follow him.

"This is going bad already. They took out two Jounin with ease? What kind of freaks are they?"- Tenten asked.

"Actually, they didn't do it with ease. When the fight was over, my Byakugan detected great exhaustion from them. As a matter of fact, they have just stopped moving and look like they're resting."- Hinata answered.

"Really? How far away?"- Naruto questioned.

"A hundred meters in front of us."- they ran a bit faster until Naruto tripped on a wire. It was well hidden and impossible to see. After the wire was touched, lights flashed from the trees.- "Explosive Tags, DUCK!"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Ambush

"Explosive tags, DUCK!"- Naruto yelled as the tags exploded and the trees started to fall.

He managed to grab the tree branch below the tripwire and swung before falling down onto another tree branch. A tree log was about to fall on him. There was no way out, and so he did the only thing he could do. His fist got covered in normal, blue chakra as he punched through the log, breaking it in two perfect halves that fell to the sides.

After that, he looked around. Haku had formed an Ice Mirror that protected her and Tenten from any falling logs. Shino had made strings of bugs that clung on to a stable tree and didn't let him fall or take damage. Hinata was still using Jyuuken to break through every log that fell at her until it was over.

"Everyone ok?"- Naruto asked from his spot.

"I'm good."- Shino replied as he used the strings to get up on the tree branch.

"We're fine."- Haku followed as the Ice Mirror disappeared.

"I'm ok."- Hinata answered. Naruto "phew"ed with relief.

"Don't be so cheerful."- a voice said ahead of them. They all turned to see the whole enemy team staring back at them. Sakon, Tayuya, Spider guy, Fat guy.

"Damn it. Didn't you say they were a hundred metres away?"- Shino asked Hinata. She nodded as their enemies laughed.

"So you were actually tracking us down? Didn't you see the good that that did to the Jounin who tried to stop us? Turn around and run away and we'll think of letting you go."- the spider guy threatened. Tayuya scowled.

"Speak for yourself, Kidomaru. I'm going to kill this bunch of trash no matter what you fucking say."- she said.

"Tayuya, calm down. Girls shouldn't swear like tha-"- the fat guy tried to speak.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP JIROBO. GOD DAMN FATSO ALWAYS GETTING IN OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS!"- she swore. Naruto could swear he felt the Uzumaki scroll shake a bit, but he ignored it.

"I'm guessing that wooden cyllinder has our comrade in it."- Naruto said. They immediately turned to him again and smirked.

"You can forget about calling him a comrade. He's officially left the Leaf. Fuck off."- Sakon told him.

"He's lost his way, I agree. But that doesn't mean it's definite. And even if it is, I have to kill him."- he explained with an expressionless face, stepping forward. All of the members of the enemy team looked at him with a whole new respect.

"You know kid, you should come with us. Talking about killing your comrade as if it were nothing, Orochimaru-sama could use that ice cold blood."- Kidomaru suggested with a smirk on his face. Sakon sighed.

"Whatever, we have to get this Uchiha idiot to Orochimaru-sama as soon as possible. Let's just go."- he said. Shino's right hand was covered with flying insects who formed something like an aura around it, which he pointed at the blue-haired guy.

"Don't fuck with us. You really think we're just going to let you leave?"- Shino asked, which visibly angered their opponents.- "Gone rogue or not, Sasuke is from the Leaf and it's our duty to bring him back. I don't fuck around when on duty and neither do the rest of us."

Their enemies were starting to get angered and their chakra could be felt. The atmosphere thickened. The Konoha team stepped forward once and their chakra too became noticeable. It was like a measure of strengths without contact at all. After a while, Jirobo sighed and stepped forward.

"You guys go ahead, I'll kill this trash pile. I'm hungry anyway."- he said. The other ones rolled their eyes and took hold of the container that carried Sasuke.

"Fine, but be sure to come back quickly, fatso. It's your job to carry this crap, not mine."- Tayuya swore and she, accompanied by the rest of the team ran away.

"Seriously? One guy is supposed to hold all of us? Talk about underestimating."- Tenten commented as they dropped to the ground in order to face the fat guy.

"You guys, this is my target. Just go and follow the others."- Shino declared. Naruto nodded and they were about to leave when Jirobo smashed his palms on the ground.

"I don't think so. Doton Kekkai: Doro Domu!"- as soon as he was finished spelling those words out, rocks lifted from the ground beneath them to create a prison above them, covering every side. They tried getting out, but the building of it was too fast, and all that was managed was Haku creating a mirror on the other side of the prison, something that fortunately managed to go unnoticed by Jirobo's eye.- "Ok trash, now listen up. Don't try to break your way out since the walls are indestructible. Every second you spend in there is a second where you lose chakra, and I gain it. Now feel free to spend the next minutes of your life sobbing on how you shouldn't die so young. Goodbye!"

The first minute was spent in complete silence as Haku created a mirror inside of the dome and made the light of outside shine through it.

"Alright, Haku, thanks. Couldn't see a damn thing. Now..."- Naruto turned around and concentrated chakra on his fist, mostly at his knuckles before punching the wall as hard as he could. The fist went through half of the rock wal before it completely stopped. Naruto removed it and seconds later, the stone regenerated.- "Alright. Thanks to that, we know that the stone itself isn't indestructible. What makes this wall difficult to pass through is its ability to regenerate. Of course, to gain something, you must lose something, so I think that chakra is what makes it regenerate. Hinata, could you give it a look?"

"Ok. Byakugan!"- she performed her clan's tora handseal variation and immediately the veigns around her eyes became more noticeable.- "There's a chakra flow between the rocks."

"Huh. This is going to be pretty tough to get out of."- Haku commented. Naruto shook his head and smiled.

"I remember reading something in a ninja book that said that no jutsu was perfect. This one isn't either. This jutsu drains our chakra and gives the user chakra. He then uses that chakra to regenerate the rocks inside. This kind of chakra control must require him to be close. What do you say, Hinata?"- Naruto suggested.

"I can see him right behind us. His hands are placed on the rocks, and that's where the chakra is more powerful."- she replied before pointing forward.- "That, the side that opposites him, has the weakest chakra flow."

"Bingo. But still, that's where I struck and it almost did nothing. Haku, can you get any of us out with your mirrors?"- he asked.

"No. I'm sorry, but only those who can use Ice Release would be able to teleport from mirror to mirror. To try and take you would kill you."- she answered.

"Hmm. How about yourself? Can you teleport over to it?"- Naruto questioned.

"I don't see why not."- Haku replied. Naruto smirked.

"Well then this will be easier than I thought. Come here."

Seconds later, Jirobo was looking at them as if they were ghosts. The whole team was on top of the rock prison looking at him.

"How?"- was all he asked. Naruto smirked and turned Haku around. There was a seal on her back. He then pointed at the mirror a couple of metres away from them.

"My friend here is capable of teleporting between mirrors that she creates. I am capable of teleporting to anywhere that this seal is placed on and take anyone I want with me. Can you figure that one out?"- he replied. Shino stepped forward.

"Go now before it's too late. I'll handle it from here."- he declared. Naruto nodded and his other three teammates followed him away.

"Your piece of trash leader will never succeed. You're all going to die here today."- Jirobo taunted the Aburame.

"Shut up. Our piece of trash leader got us out of your "Indestructible" prison in less than three minutes. Now, let's dance."- Shino formed a whip of bugs and started an assault that the fat guy wouldn't soon forget.

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang was up ahead, tracking down their enemies. Hinata had used the Byakugan again and saw that although they had left a while ago, they weren't that far away.

"Are you sure Shino can handle him? He doesn't seem that tough, Naruto-kun."- Haku commented. Naruto smirked.

"Every single one of you has been specifically chosen to deal with each target. Shino's intelligent and very versatile, something that can let him deal with that fat guy easily. Like bugs, Shino's toughness is very underestimated. Besides, he's really smart."- he replied.

"Naruto-kun, they have slowed down and are mere metres away from us!"- Hinata warned. Naruto nodded.

"You pieces of trash don't quit, do you? It's our fault though. Thinking that stupid fatso could actually old you back. He's the weakest of us."- Kidomaru spoke. He, Tayuya and Sakon were all in front of them, standing on a tree branch.

"This is the last time I offer you this deal. Give us Sasuke and go away and we'll let you live."- Naruto offered. Sakon laughed.

"You kids are pretty funny, huh? Fuck off! Sasuke is lord Orochimaru's vessel, not your comrade."- he replied. Naruto sighed. Kidomaru did the same thing.

"You guys go ahead. I'll kill these bugs. They're getting annoying."- this time, Tayuya laughed and pointed at the Konoha team.

"Now you're fucked! You've just pissed off the smartest in this team! See you in hell!"- and she ran off with Sakon, holding Sasuke's container.

They stared each other down for some time. Kidomaru smiled, Hinata, Tenten, Haku and Naruto had no expression on their faces. Finally, after some minutes of staring down, Kidomaru spat four webs that were aimed at the Konoha nin. Naruto was about to dodge when Tenten moved. She sent dozens of kunai that struck the webs and fell together with them.

"This is my guy, right, Naruto? You three go and get Sasuke. I'll handle this one."- she said. Naruto smiled and ran away with Haku and Hinata. Kidomaru thought this was funny and spat more webs at them, this time angled differently so that it would be near impossible for Tenten to aim right and get them.

"Naruto-kun, we should dodge this one, there's no way that girl will be able to strike these down."- Haku suggested. Naruto smirked.

"No. I've said this and I'll say it again. Every person in this mission was specifically chosen because of their abilities."- four kunai went flying towards the sides of webs and then controlled with ninja wire in order to tie themselves around said webs and make them drop. Haku seemed surprised as Naruto smiled.- "Don't underestimate Tenten."

"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a girl. I'm as capable as a ninja as anyone else!"

_ That makes two. Everything is going according to plan, Kyuubi-chan. You think we can pull this off?_

_** The one who determines that is you, kid. I think things are going well, but we're messing with strong people here. Don't get cocky.**_

_I won't._

"Naruto-kun, WATCH OUT!"- Hinata and Haku screamed at the same time. In his distraction, Naruto had failed to notice the blue haired Sakon falling at him, his two fists and two other fists going through his belly punching the air until they touched him.

"TARENKEN!"- Sakon shouted as he gave Naruto a barrage of a thousand punches, sending him flying through a tree and into the ground.

"NARUTO-KUN!"- Hinata yelled as she got enraged and turned to Sakon who didn't hesitate on giving her the same treatment he gave Naruto.

"TARENKYAKU!"- a thousand kicks were delivered, and a thousand were blocked and dodged before being counteracted with a punch that made him turn around. Naruto was already there.- "FUCK YOU! TARENKYAKU!"

Again he tried to kick him, but Naruto wasn't one for falling for the same trick twice. He avoided all of the kicks before jumping, rotating and hitting Sakon's face with a tornado kick, sending him crash against a tree.

"M-Motherf-fucker. H-How did you get up so fucking quickly?"- Sakon asked slowly getting up, revealing the cave in he had left in the tree. Naruto smirked and lifted his jacket to show his well worked abs.

"When you've trained with people like Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi, Momochi Zabuza, The Third Hokage and the heads of the Inuzuka and Hyuuga clan, pain isn't such a factor anymore. I challenge you to spend one day with them, and you'll know what true pain is."- he explained with a grin, something that only annoyed Sakon.

"Tayuya, get the fuck out of here! If Kidomaru and Jirobo weren't enough to stop these trashpiles I'll fucking do it myself. Take Sasuke to Orochimaru-sama right now!"- he ordered with pure anger on his face. Tayuya shrugged.

"Whatever."- and she ran away, even though her mind wasn't so indifferent. _I don't give a shit about Jirobo, but if those kids got through Kidomaru and there are still three of them, they might not be as weak as we thought they were._ She shrugged again._ Whatever. Even though that's happened, they'll never get through Sakon._ _Can't wait to see the look on their faces when they find out his ability._

"You kids...I never thought trash like you could pull it off, but you really fucking managed to piss me off. And nobody lives when they piss me off."- Sakon declared as he shook, trying to control his rage.

"Naruto-kun, Haku-chan, it's time for you to go. This is my target. You two still have to go for yours."- Hinata said. Haku was ready, but Naruto hesitated. The Hyuuga looked at him, came forward, kissed him in the lips and slapped him.- "You're our leader. Don't hesitate and go or we'll lose Sasuke-kun. GO!"

Naruto wasn't able to mumble anything as he and Haku ran away. Sakon was so blind with rage he didn't care about them and immediately turned to Hinata. Naruto was still dazed by the kiss and the wake up slap, something that didn't go unnoticed by Haku's eyes.

"Naruto-kun, I can't count the times I've been worried when Zabuza-san faced a strong enemy. I was worried to death when you and your teammates fought him for the first time, and wanted to interveine. I know how you're feeling right now, but the truth is, the best you can do for her is defeat your opponent. She's the most talented Hyuuga fighter of all time, she'll manage with that Sakon person. You just need to focus."- she explained. It was like a second slap at Naruto's face, but this one actually did wake him up. He shook his head and looked at Haku.

"Thank you."

_** She's right, kid. Get your head in the game. Only one more to go before you get to that Uchiha guy.**_

They ran for a minute or two before they saw Tayuya again. She was running as fast as she could, but Haku was a former assassin of an ANBU level, and Naruto, well, Naruto was one of Might Guy's students. That spoke for itself.

"Running is useless! Give it up!"- Naruto called out. Tayuya looked behind her and shook her head in rage.

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! DO YOU FUCKING TRASH PILES EVER FUCKING GIVE UP?"- she yelled as she stopped running and placed Sasuke's container right beside her. _What now? These two don't have the Cursed Seal's power but if that's the leader and subleader of a group of people who can go one on one against Sakon and Kidomaru, well, I don't think I've got a fucking chance!_

Again, Naruto felt his scroll shake, but this time he didn't just disregard it. He took it out of his back and spread it out on the tree branch he was standing on. He stopped when it got to the Uzumaki Alive Members part, since that was where it had stopped shaking.

After a close inspection of the scroll months before, Naruto had discovered that the scroll didn't really just say which members of the Uzumaki clan were alive in the whole world. However, if a member happened to be around, the scroll would analyze the chakra and confirm it. The way of warning the wearer was by shaking.

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes as he read a name aside his own on the scroll. _Uzumaki Tayuya. This isn't possible!_

_** You know kid, it might be possible. Before you, your mother was my host, and before her, Mito Uzumaki was. Both had red-hair, a hardy nature and a ridiculous ammount of chakra.**_

_ Yeah, but what do I do? I need to get over her in order to finish the mission, but she's the only alive relative I have, what should I do?_

_**Take her alive.**_

In that moment, a shadow came from the sky. Tayuya's eyes sharpened looking at it and her face became covered with the expression of fear and terror. The shadow which then could be seen as a tall, long white haired guy that wore the same outfit as the other Oto-nin fell onto Sasuke's container as graciously as could be.

"K-Kimimaro? What are you doing here? You're sick!"- Tayuya asked, both worried and surprised. Kimimaro looked at her with disgust.

"Tayuya, I thought you were the best out of the Sound Four, and yet here I see you cowering before two piles of Konoha trash. End them and then come meet me at Orochimaru-sama's hideout. I'll decide if I kill you then."- Kimimaro took hold of the container and swiftly ran away.

"Naruto-kun, this is your chance. I'll handle Tayuya. Go after that Kimimaro person."- Haku ordered.

"Do me a favor. Don't kill Tayuya, try to capture her alive. Please."- Naruto asked. Haku seemed confused, but nodded.

"I'm not even going to try to stop you. Kimimaro's stronger than me, Jirobo, Sakon and Kidomaru at the same time. He's proven it too."- Tayuya said. Naruto smirked as he passed her.

"Ok. See you later, sister."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The Sound Five

Naruto ran and ran and ran a bit more. This Kimimaro person was no pushover like the rest of them. They crossed the whole Forest and a ravine before reaching a big, open grass field where Kimimaro stopped. The wooden cylinder was shaking.

The blonde questioned himself as to why that mysterious white-haired ninja had stopped the chase, but shrugged it aside. This was probably the only shot he would get at him.

"The ritual is almost complete."- Kimimaro said out loud, as if trying to answer the jinchuuriki's mental questions.- "I can do no further but kill you while the vessel runs to Orochimaru-sama."

"Won't be so easy..."- Naruto replied as he took the good old Fuuma Shuriken off of his back. They started walking in one big circle, searching for any injuries or weak spots in the other.- "What do you mean by ritual?"

"Since you are going to die, I might as well say. The Cursed Seal has two levels. The first is automatically reached if you manage to survive it and you can use it at any time. The second gives a much bigger boost to your strength and chakra levels. But, there's no Rose without Thorns. To reach the second level, one has to die."- he explained. Naruto's eyes widened.

"You don't mean..."

"Yes. The body has unnecessary barriers that can be taken down by death. That barrel is very special and does not allow the soul to escape. After the ritual ends, the soul is resealed inside the body, and the user may access the second level."- Kimimaro finished. Naruto lowered his head and shook it as if disappointed.

"What idiocy...that Orochimaru couldn't be any dumber, could he? Those barriers exist for a reason. Every time that second level is activated it forces the body to pump chakra and make the muscles work three times as hard to compensate for whatever losses the user might have suffered doing battle. Opening those barriers is forbidden for two things. Do you know how many stress that puts on the heart? It will simply deteriorate in time, and second, do you have any idea as to why it comes a time every day when a shinobi has to stop training before trying again the next day? The body has to get itself used to the sudden rise in power. The cursed seal bypasses that and simply gives power to the user without thinking of the consequences. That is a whole new level of strain on every single muscle you have."- he explained as Kimimaro's face changed expressions a bunch of times. Anger, Understanding, Sudden Realization and Anger again.- "Let me guess, you're the oldest servant of Orochimaru, right?"

"Correct."- Kimimaro responded through closed teeth.

"Those two spots on your forehead, Kaguya clan, huh? The ones who had the Shikotsumyaku? I'm surprised Orochimaru didn't make you his vessel."- Naruto taunted. Kimimaro's face expression switched to regret. _Exactly what I thought._- "Or he did want to, but someone has been using the Cursed Seal for too long. Tayuya said you were sick. I told you, the heart and body just can't take that kind of strain. Orochimaru needs to switch bodies every few years, but switching to yours would be the same as staying on the one he's in now, since you're both with a foot in the grave. You're useless, now."

Kimimaro bowed his head. He couldn't stop but feeling the truth in the boy's words. Orochimaru had given him a gift and he abused it until he became absolutely useless to his lord.

"You're right. I was useless, but not anymore. I'm here to open way for his new vessel and be of a final use to him. Orochimaru gave me love and acknowledged me as a person. In exchange, he wanted me to be his Weapon. That's what I will be even if it's the last I do."- he outstretched his arm and hand, and a bone came out of his palm. _So this is the Shikotsumyaku I've read about._ The bone was composed of a humerus as a hilt and a sharpened, aligned radius as the blade. Kimimaro stood in a fencer stance.- "You shall not pass. (thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week.)"

"That's what you think. I bear Kekkei Genkai as well, and am not sick. That's an advantage already. Besides that, my partners should be coming any minute now. You won't pass this day. I can give you a Warrior's death."- he offered. Kimimaro smiled and nodded.

"If you can, do give me that death. It will surely be better than waiting to die of sickness. But unfortunately, that won't happen today. I'm the best out of Orochimaru's soldiers, together with the others we are the Sound Five. Orochimaru's Elite BodyGuards. Jirobo of the South Gate, an Earth Style and Arhat Fist specialist..."

*****insert "Naruto Unreleased Ost: Sound 5 Battle Theme 2" here*****

**Shino**

"What the...?"- Shino muttered. He had been whipping the Earth Style user with chakra eating bugs for ten minutes now and his enemy showed no signs of getting hurt or tiring. Jirobo laughed more and more.

"Feeling tired?"- the fat guy asked with a grin. Shino hadn't realized it, but his chakra reserves and stamina were depleting for some reason. _I haven't used jutsu in a while, what the hell?_- "You're giving me a direct link to you with that whip. I use it to suck off your chakra instead of you sucking mine. I also use the excess to heal my wounds. You've basically been whipping yourself these ten minutes. Idiot. But oh well, what could you expect when your leader is an idiot too?"

"I see..."- Shino crouched. It always did help him think. However, he had no time for that as Jirobo appeared in front of him, ready to hit him with a roundhouse. He jumped over it, but Jirobo was prepared, grabbing him in the air and rotating to send him flying against a tree. Shino tried to get up, but couldn't, as his obese attacker approached. _Is this how I go? Sorry, Naruto. I couldn't do it..._

**Naruto**

"...Kidomaru of the East Gate, a very intelligent and cunning strategist who has no problems with long-distance combat and can equal the numbers in any battle..."

**Tenten**

"Is that all you have? Jeez, you Konoha kids seemed so promissing. I hope the rest of you are good, otherwise I'm going to be pissed."- Kidomaru taunted as he hung from a web string attached to a tree. Tenten looked up at him. She had used so many Kunai and shuriken but none had hit. He just kept spitting webs like a machine gun and his aim was like hers. Perfect. The difference was, she had a few scrapes in her from the arrows he also spat, but he had nothing. Not even a scratch. He smirked.- "What did I expect, though? Women can never make fine ninja. Ever."

"Oh yeah, what about the girl on your team? Huh?"- she asked back. She honestly had almost no energy to insult.

"Tayuya? Hah! She only uses her stupid little flute to put people to sleep before we finish them off. Orochimaru-sama only placed her on our team so we could relieve our urges on her. And yes, it's what you're thinking. Hah!"- Kidomaru proceeded to perform the Kuchyiose jutsu, summoning a gigantic spider on the tree branches.- " I guess I'll finish this off. You're too pathetic for me to do it myself."

The big spider moaned in pain as thousands of spiders fell from her womb (pardon, I don't know the spider anatomy at all), all hungry to eat the skin and organs of that small girl. Tenten looked up, no expression on her face, as the rain of arachnids was felt.

**Naruto**

"...Sakon of the West Gate, a very strong and powerful brawler who can block just about anything you send at him. And his ability, man, I'm sorry for the person you sent after him..."

"Hinata..."- Naruto muttered. The Kyuubi inside him growled as if it knew Hinata's fate.

**Hinata**

"..."- Hinata just didn't get it. She had struck the vital and tenketsu points of Sakon countless times yet his chakra was still running and he was walking as if he hadn't felt a thing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! DO YOU SEE NOW JUST WHY I'M THE MOST POWERFUL MEMBER OF THE SOUND FOUR? I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOUR FANCY DANCY TECHNIQUES, BECAUSE IN THE END, BRUTE FORCE IS WHAT MATTERS!"- he ran to Hinata and dodged her punch.- "TARENKEN!"

"GAH!"- Hinata yelled as she went flying through a tree. She couldn't even get up as Sakon came flying at her in seconds. She took hold of him and his momentum got them both flying down a ravine. Both managed to lighten their fall with chakra, but it still hurt.

Hinata barely got to her feet to see Sakon coming at her again. She used her Byakugan to the fullest. Not one, not two, but three fists rapidly came out of Sakon's belly to hit her. Again, she went flying against a rock.

"You see, my brother Ukon and I get along really well. So well he actually lives in my body and can bring his limbs out of any part of my anatomy as he pleases. We use that to attack. And now..."- Sakon explained.

"Shut up, Sakon. Let's get this over with, there is no time to play."- Ukon argued with him as his head turned into a one-horned devil. Sakon nodded as his did so too, but none of them expected the next attack.

"HAKKE KUSHO!"- Hinata screamed as chakra came from her palm and hit both brothers like a truck. They flew against a rock that exploded at impact.

It took a while for the dust to settle, and then, Sakon was already up.

"You stupid bitch..."- he muttered as his broken arm became visible. This time, there was something weird, though. Sakon didn't have Ukon's head?

"Yo..."- Hinata turned her head to see Ukon's demonic face coming out of her shoulder and smiling.- "Missed me?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

**Naruto**

"AAAAAAAAAAAHH!"- they heard a shout coming from the forest. Kimimaro smirked before laughing.

"And after that, Tayuya of the North Gate. Orochimaru-sama originally placed her on our team to be someone who could relieve us of stress. A Sperm Dumpster. I've got to admit that at first, that was all she was good at. But we later discovered her abilities. She can summon these three giants, the Doki, and control them with her flute. Believe me, they are no joking matter. And even if someone gets through those, she has this genjutsu that paralyzes them in seconds. The bitch's really crazy too, and makes sure to give them a slow but painful death..."

**Haku**

"..."- Haku stood in horror as she looked at the three behemoths. Each of them had their eyes and ears covered and their mouths sewn shut. One wore a green full body suit and his hair covered all of his head and face. It carried a giant studded metal club. Another was shirtless and had dark pants. It was bald and had scars on his head like Ibiki. It wore a blindfold and had a thorn like weapon on each of his arms. The last had its upper body covered in bandages and wore brown pants. Its head was in an awkward position as if it was upside down, and had several needles stuck on it. It had no weapon, but again, did it really need one with that size and speed?

"I've told you, you whore, nobody hears my melody and survives it!"- Tayuya yelled at her. Haku took hold of her senbon and threw them with deadly precision, but one sound of the flute and one of the Doki was there to protect her. What Haku didn't see was the other two Doki coming from behind. She avoided the thorn one and managed to scrape aside the club of the second before slipping into one of her mirrors.

That was temporarily safe as the second Doki crushed the mirror with one swing of his club, sending Haku flying back to the third one, who had his head in a weird position. She was suddenly impaled on something through her back and out of her chest. It was a ghostly snake with no head but mouths all over.

"Makyo no Ran."- Tayuya slowly said, naming her technique. Haku's conscience started to collapse as her stamina, chakra and lifeforce were sucked into the thing more and more each second. _Sorry, Naruto-kun. It seems I could not face my opponent and capture her..._

**Naruto**

"So, as you can see, any plan you might have had will not work at all."- Kimimaro spat out before smirking.- "I'm killing you now."

"..."- Naruto said no words as Kimimaro ran at him, ready to strike the jinchuuriki down with one swipe of his sword. Nothing happened until the last second. The blade whispered in the air and was just about to cut Naruto's head in half as easily as it would cut through a watermelon. However, it stopped. A very thin sword was there to block it.- "Nuibari...I haven't used you in so long..."

Kimimaro couldn't believe his eyes. Someone had actually blocked him? He was a master in taijutsu and kenjutsu and a single blow from him would normally overpower any block. Besides that, his bones were harder than diamond and could break through anything, especially just some steel sword. What was going on?

Naruto looked up, no expression on his face as he rolled back and double-kicked Kimimaro on the chest, rolling back and standing straight before running at him again. The Sound nin was barely back on the floor when Naruto delivered a slice that shook his bones (no pun intended) when it hit his sword. Kimimaro replied by rolling to the side and delivering a swipe of his own, but Naruto wasn't there anymore. The Sound nin looked at the ground to see the shadow getting bigger, and he rose his sword to clash with the jinchuuriki's as he fell from the sky.

The two engaged in a kenjutsu fight, blocking and delivering strikes of their own, but the fight didn't seem to get anywhere. The difference was, Kimimaro was frustrated, and Naruto had no expression, as if it was common for him to fight like that.

They fought for a bit longer before Naruto proved his superiority. He sliced vertically from up and right to down and left, being blocked by Kimimaro, and then back tracking, making his sword hit and deflect the Sound Five's leader's own sword enough for him to rotate in a clockwise motion and elbow Kimimaro's face as hard as he could before rotating again and sidekicking him to the ground. He smirked at Kimimaro's face expression of confusion.

"The Uzumaki kenjutsu style. The best in the world. I'm the only one who knows how to use it now. You're finished."- Naruto declared. Kimimaro bowed his face and suddenly, black, straight lines that kept changing their direction appeared on his body.- "Resorting to the Cursed Seal level 1, huh?"

"No one has lived after seeing me in this state. As I've said, you won't live through this day. And neither will your buddies."- he threatened. Naruto laughed this time.

"Oh yeah? It's my turn to tell you about them. They were handpicked for this job. First, Aburame Shino, considered the pride of the Aburame and the future head of the clan. I've seen this guy kill without so much as a blink. He's smart as a snake..."

**Shino**

"..."- Shino simply watched as Jirobo approached him and punched his head with all of his fat strength. It wasn't until seconds later that he dissolved into bugs.

"What?"- the sound nin muttered before Shino appeared behind him. He tried a back elbow that Shino ducked under before giving him a right cross, sidestepping around a jab and giving him a rotating left elbow that sent him flying away.

"You know, you should never expose yourself to close combat with a member of my family. To plant insects on you is so easy..."- he said.- "Hijutsu: Mushidama."

"Gah, fuck! What the hell!"- Jirobo swore as insects came from under his clothes and started to bite his chakra away.

Anyone would have smirked by now, but Shino wasn't one to take things for granted. Jirobo rose and all of the insects around him were dead. His body was covered in arrow-like markings.

"I see. You used your seal to give them too much chakra and they died from overload, right?"- Shino asked.

"Hahaha, it was stupid to think something as puny and small as a bug could stop me."- he declared, laughing. Shino looked at him, and for the first time in his life, he smirked.

"You do realize that was not the attack itself?"- he asked as terror spread in Jirobo's face. The dead bugs were still attached to his body, but there were really tiny papers on each of them that started to shine.

"No way!"- Jirobo yelled. Shino kept his smirk on. He had given his mini exploding paper tags to those insects long ago since he knew they couldn't absorb a charge as big as the cursed seal's, so he decided he'd bring out the rest of the devil as quickly as possible.

"Boom."

**Naruto**

"Wakizashi Tenten, Konoha's Oficial Weapons Mistress, nominated for the job at age 8. She can throw so many weapons at you in such little time that you will think it's raining steel. Don't underestimate this girl, it's probably the worse thing you could do when fighting her..."

**Tenten**

Spiders rained from the big Tarantula and were ready to stick their fangs on the kunoichi's pretty little neck when her expressionless face turned into a smirk. She rotated as fast as she could and soon kunai and shuriken were flying from within the little tornado that she was. Every single spider got hit and pinned down to trees, the ground or even their own mother.

This didn't please Kidomaru, however, as he ordered the mother to stop giving birth and simply drop down to squish the little bug that was defying him.

The spider did just that and fell on the ground, creating an earthquake. Kidomaru smirked at his victory. It couldn't have had any other result anyway. He was just about to leave when the spider suddenly cried out in pain. He jumped off of it when it's back was sliced open. Tenten came out, covered in goo, but alive and unharmed.

She looked up at Kidomaru, and again, no expression on her face. She had a Wakizashi on each hand, staying true to her clan's name. The Sound nin groaned as out of each of his six palms came a sword and his body was covered in curvy black lines. The first cursed seal level.

They engaged on a kenjutsu battle, but of course, Tenten came out as the victor. No one could beat her when it came to Weapons. No one. Not even a chakra freak helped by a seal. Kidomaru spat a golden arrow at Tenten who simply used one of her swords to deflect it. She managed to control his web and impaled him with his own arrow, sending him flying up, coming down and getting stuck to the gigantic spider.

She slowly walked up a tree until she was upside down, standing on the branch that the spider had clung on to. There was already a variety of seals there.

"Each of my Kunai and Shuriken had these seals on them and stuck them to the tree as you were distracted by my apparent death. Just learn this, a spider only gets so many prey before one of them fights back and ends up killing it. Sometimes they die from a bite, others they die from being pushed off a tree and falling to their deaths. But this time..."- she placed her hands on the seals as everything that was in them was summoned.- "Well, just watch out for the rain of steel..."

**Naruto**

"...and after her there's Hyuuga Hinata. Do you know anything about the Hyuuga Clan? They've got this Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan. It gives them X-Ray, 360 degree vision for miles. They've also got this really nasty fighting style, the Gentle Fist. One direct hit and you can't use chakra for days. Aside that, they've got this thing for hitting vital points and make you cough out blood. Aside that, she is the most talented member in generations and an absolute terror to any close combat users."

**Hinata**

"AAAAAAAAAAAHH!"- Ukon shouted as Hinata plucked his left eye right off of his head, causing him to immediately jump out of her body.

"We Hyuuga do not take kindly on people getting too close. We like you to keep a formal distance. I didn't use to listen much to all of this high-society stuff, but it's kind of getting to me with the years. The only one I allow to be that close to me is Naruto-kun, our leader. Anyone else beware, for I will not hesitate on handicapping you for life."- she declared. Ukon looked at her with his right eye, pure anger being glared at her, and Sakon was now up.

"Sakon, I don't give a fuck if your rib cage is broken, this bitch is going down now in the most gruesome way possible!"- Ukon shouted.

"But brother, Orochimaru-sama needs..."- Sakon tried to reply.

"FUCK OROCHIMARU-SAMA. TAYUYA IS TAKING THE VESSEL TO HIM AND THIS BITCH JUST TOOK MY EYE OUT. NOW STOP BEING A PUSSY AND LET'S DO THIS!"- he silenced his brother. Sakon nodded. Hinata got ready. The twins ran at her, both ready to skin her alive, and that's when, in Hinata's eyes, everything went black, a green yin yang trigram circle formed on the ground and she focused on both brothers.

"JyuukenHo: Hakke Hyachu Nijuhachi Sho!"- she promptly made minced meat out of the two, hitting each of them sixty-four times, closing their tenketsu points as she did so, and giving them a whole lot of pain. _2 palms, 4 palms, 8 palms, 16 palms, 32 palms, 64 palms, 128 palms!_

"GAAH!"- the twins shouted as both of them went flying against rocks, getting most of their bones crushed.

**Naruto**

"And after all of those, you've got Hyoton no Haku...the last alive user of the Ice Release. Is there anything else that needs to be said? She can kill you with one fucking hit and no one can catch up to her speed..."

**Haku**

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I couldn't do as you wanted. I couldn't be your tool..."- Haku apologized as she sensed her death coming. But something caught her attention.

"Haku, resting already? How disappointing..."- she heard a familiar voice ask. She looked at her left side and saw Zabuza sitting on a tree bench in a very relaxed position.

"Zabuza-san, you're at Konoha. This either is an Hallucination induced by my brain to stop me from suffering as I die, or a genjutsu I've fell in."- she realized. Zabuza gave her one chuckle.

"You always were quite the smart one. Hallucination or not, I'm here. You know I've already apologized to you for using you and thinking of you as nothing more than a weapon, so that's not what I'm here to talk to you about. But tell me, I've trained you since you were just a child and you're the best assassin I've ever seen. Well, best one aside that blonde kid, but still. The old you would never get caught on a situation like this. By now that kunoichi would have her body covered in senbon and you would be miles away with me, cashing in on the hit."- he commented. Haku sighed sadly.

"I've changed. I guess I've become accostumed to this new relaxed life where we don't have to worry about dying every second."- she replied. Again, Zabuza laughed.

"That's bull and you know it. People don't change, Haku, you out of all should know that. They merely improve. Gain new skills. But you'll always be you in the end. That's why I simply went with it when people said I was a demon. It's best to embrace your true you than die trying to trick yourself."- he got up and looked at her from the side.- "Come on, one last mission. You know you want to."

She looked at him with no expression as he faded away.

"Fuck all of this waiting, I'm just going to kill you immediately, waiting for that thing to suck your life out is too boring."- Tayuya yelled before playing her flute. All three of the Doki jumped and attacked Haku at the same time. Haku closed her eyes before opening them and showing blood red pupils.

"Hijutsu: Hissatsu Hyoso! (Hidden Jutsu, Certain-Kill Ice Spears!)"- she calmly pointed out as several gigantic ice spears came all around her body, impaling every single one of the Doki on different spots, leaving them useless.- "Hijutsu: Makyo Hyosho!"

Tayuya could only watch as she was surrounded by Ice Mirrors, Haku reflected on all of them. The Doki couldn't move a finger before being Kuchyiose'd away, so Tayuya had no place to run. She let her first cursed seal level run wild, covering her body in several completely erratic straight lines.

"That won't help you now..."- Haku declared as the rain of sharpened ice began.

**Naruto**

"So, as you can see, my team is not really trash. It's perfect. Of course, there's one final element. Me. I am the best seal master in the village and one of the best kenjutsu users. I can use the Hiraishin no jutsu and the Rasengan, not that you know of those. Aside all that, I wield Nuibari, one of the Seven Legendary Swords and have its killing intent at my disposal. If all of that wasn't enough, I've got something more. I've killed myself each day, training and training and can say I'm the best taijutsu master in the damn village. Nobody, not even you can surpass me. On another note, I've got the Kyuubi inside me and can use its chakra anyway I wish..."- he calmly declared as he and Kimimaro circled each other. Kimimaro's seal expanded until he became something completely different. His appearance was similar to that of a dinosaur, with dark grey skin, six large bone spines protruding out of his back, and a long, bone-spiked tail.

"I will not disappoint Orochimaru-sama..."- Kimimaro vowed. Naruto sighed.

"If that's the case..."- he grasped Nuibari with his teeth and rose his right hand in a rock on symbol while red bubbles of chakra came out of his body. Soon, his whole anatomy was covered in red chakra. From behind his rear came a red tail of chakra and he had two fox ears too. His hands were now claws, also made out of chakra.

The two "Alphas" stared each other down for a while before Kimimaro droppped his sword an pulled out his spine, making a whip. Bone came out of his left arm and created a very big lance that would probably penetrate anything. Naruto simply stood there as the Sound nin used the whip to constrict him and keep him in one place, before running up to him and trying to use the lance on him.

"GGRRAH!"- Naruto roared as the whip and Kimimaro were repelled. Before Kimimaro was even done landing, Naruto was already there punching him straight in the face. Even with his hardened bones under his skin, Kimimaro had to admit that that, hurt. Again, he flew away, but managed to land safely and pressed his palms against the floor as Naruto ran for him one more time.

"SAWARABI NO MAI! (Dance of the Seedling Fern)"- he shouted as countless gigantic bones rose from the ground. Naruto managed to not get stuck on any of them until one came right under him. He jumped up, as high as he could until the bone stopped growing. It was too sharp for him to stand on it, so he used his sword as a means of support and simply stuck it on the bone before standing on it.

A quick look towards the barrel revealed that it was now open and empty and the Uchiha was running away. _I can't let this last much longer, or he'll get away._

He felt Kimimaro come from the bone he was standing on and readied himself.

"I'm going to show you why they used to call me the demon, in Konoha."- he taunted before jumping up and using his chakra-made claws to tear the bone apart with one hit.

"WHAT? IMPOSSIBLE! THESE BONES ARE UNBREAKABLE!"- Kimimaro shouted with disbelief.

"GGRAAH!"- Naruto shouted as he made his claws cling to a bone and swing him to get closer to the sound nin. He punched him in the face, sending him flying through some of his own bones. He was getting up when he saw the only thing that had terrorized him in his whole life. The black-hooded Naruto enveloped in a red chakra mist that formed a gigantic fox's head, falling down at hi with a blue ball of chakra on his right hand.

"...Orochimaru-sama...I'm sorry..."

"RASENGAN!"- Naruto mashed the jutsu against Kimimaro and an explosion took place.

**Shino**

"..."- nothing else was said as Jirobo fell to the ground, absolutely deformed. Another boom was heard far away, but this one shook the young Aburame. _Naruto..._

**Tenten**

She merely watched as the spider-lover curled up in a ball as he was pelted with steel. She heard a boom far away and felt a chill through her spine. _What is Naruto up to?_

**Hinata**

The two twins were lying on the ground, groaning in pain and despair when they felt the Earthquake that an explosion caused. (they were closer to Naruto then.)

Hinata winced as she realized that it wasn't the power of the enemy, but the power of the one she loved. _Naruto-kun, please don't lose yourself!_

**Haku**

Tayuya couldn't do a thing as the psycho that had come from within the Yuki girl pelted her with senbon. There wasn't a part of her body that wasn't scratched, and even though Haku had avoided vital points, the sound kunoichi felt like she was going to die. That's when the mirrors shattered with the intensity of a blow from a bit far away. An explosion. Tayuya fell to the ground and layed there, but Haku rose an eyebrow. _Naruto-kun, is that you?_

**Naruto**

Naruto looked at Kimimaro's carcass and couldn't help but feel pity for the disformed guy. He only did what he thought was best for his master. Naruto looked up and ran after Sasuke.

(And that is Chapter 20, fellas. I've made this one extra long to celebrate the fact that this fic has reached 4000 VIEWS! YAY VICTORY DANCE! Anyway, to celebrate this further, and since the classic Naruto (not the Shippuden) is almost over, I'm in need of suggestions and will set up polls at the end of PART I to ask what you guys and girls would like me to write. Anything helps! And each review is a motivation to write the next chapter. See you and goodbye!)


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Sasuke's Destiny

They both ran and ran some more, Sasuke trying to evade his teammate, and Naruto trying to prevent his friend from doing something even more stupid than what he had already done.

"Sasuke what the fuck are you thinking?"- Naruto yelled out, receiving only one of Sasuke's rare evil chuckles as an answer.

He followed him into a cave. It was pitch black, but Naruto didn't care and simply followed the footsteps. Thank Kami for Zabuza's fighting without eyesight training. He sped through the darkness only to come out at a really bright, but beautiful landscape.

It was the Valley of the End.

*Insert "Sasuke's Destiny Here*

The Valley of the End consisted of a waterfall that was between two gigantic statues. The statues of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, Madara by the left and Hashirama by the right. Sasuke stood on Madara's head as Naruto stepped onto Hashirama's.

"Fitting, isn't it? The Uzumaki clan descends from the Senju, right? It's ironic that the same battle repeats itself, with the same outcome. The Uchiha remain supreme after all of these years while the Senju and Uzumaki are barely known. You will die here, just like the First Hokage."- Sasuke spoke, a malicious grin on his face and a yellow eye. Half of his body was covered in cursed seal marks. Naruto sighed.

"And why would you want to kill me? Why must it end like this?"- he asked. _What the fuck is on your mind?_

"Over the course of the last year you and I've become friends. Best friends even. I thought my life was finally getting better, but I've realized, that the only thing those bonds are is distracting. My primary objective in life is to kill my older brother and I'll never achieve it by playing ninja with you idiots from the Leaf. By killing you and severing our bond with Chidori today, I'll become stronger and I'll get the eyes that my brother has."- Sasuke explained. Naruto bowed his head and shook it as if he was disappointed.

"And you do that by going to Orochimaru? You know, I have no fucking idea how they thought you were a genius. That's the stupidest plan I've heard in my whole life, and I've heard tons of stupid crap. And playing ninja? Tenten, Shino, Haku and Hinata are all out there risking their lives fighting your new buddies just to get you back to the village. And they didn't even owe you anything. Risking your life for your comrade, that's what being a ninja is all about."- Naruto replied with disgust on your face.

"Well, wasn't that nice of them? But I don't give a shit. I don't need to be saved. If they die or kill the others today I don't really care. I'm going to Orochimaru to complete my training and end the pathetic thing that is my brother's life. But before that..."- Sasuke vanished before appearing right in front of Naruto, punching him in the gut so hard he spat blood. The Uchiha let out one of his infamous evil chuckles.- "See the power I have now? This is something I gained in seconds with Orochimaru, far superior to anything I've got from Konoha."

"Gah!"- Naruto let out as Sasuke spun and kicked him, sending him flying against a tree. Naruto got up, but seconds later he was on the ground again as Sasuke punched him through the tree, grabbed his arm and threw him against Hashirama's statue.

"Where's the strong Naruto? Fighting against you when you're this weak is just sad."- he taunted. Naruto slowly got up.

"Well, one of your buddies, the leader of the group that you hadn't met, wanted to fight me to give you time to run. Motherfucker was Orochimaru's former vessel, which by the way makes you the new one. He was more powerful than those four at the same time and could use his bones to attack me. He also used the Cursed Seal he had up to level 2. Had to kill him. Of course, that's not something you can do easily. Resorted to the Kyuubi's chakra to take the fucker out, so excuse me if I'm not really fit for fighting right now."- Naruto explained which made Sasuke's eyes widen. _How did this fucker beat a level 2 cursed seal user? Am I still weaker than him?_

"What do you mean by vessel?"- he asked, masking his confusion.

"Orochimaru is ambitious, you know. His dream is to learn every jutsu in existence. Of course, one lifetime is not enough for that. So he uses another jutsu to change body every five years before the former body rejects him. Interestingly, he can keep the bloodlines of the ones he posessed before for himself. He wanted to possess Kimimaro to get his bones bloodline, and now wants to possess you for your Sharingan. Can't you see it? He wants you to stay close to him so he can train you and when you're ready, take over your body."- the jinchuuriki answered. Sasuke laughed.

"Nice excuse dobe. That's all bullshit, now get ready to die."- Sasuke disappeared, but this time Naruto was ready, and blocked his punch with his own hand. Sasuke looked down at him, and Naruto opened his eyes. They were slits.- "What the...?"

"..."- Naruto didn't say a word as he pushed Sasuke away with his legs before getting up and dashing at him. Sasuke barely blocked the following punches before Naruto sidekicked his groin and kneed his head, sending him flying up for a bit. The jinchuuriki jumped, spun and tornado kicked the Uchiha away. Sasuke fell down the waterfall before Naruto jumped down, falling with him.

They continued their taijutsu fight in the middle of the air. Kick, block, punch, dodge and spinning heel kick. None could get the upper hand before Naruto trapped Sasuke's leg, spun twice and sent him flying into Madara's statue, creating a crater on its belly.

The jinchuuriki approached with caution to see Sasuke's destroyed body. But that wasn't the case at all. Sasuke's body was covered in curse marks and both of his eyes were yellow. Naruto's eyes widened and Sasuke chuckled before punching his comrade away, sending him flying into Hashirama's statue.

"Hahahaha! Nice of you to even try to beat me, but your power is nothing compared to the power of my hatred."- he bragged before letting out a malicious laughter. He laughed and laughed and was about to laugh more when the broken rocks in Hashirama's statue started moving.

*Insert "Naruto Ost: Ultimate Secrets" here*

A flash of light passed through Sasuke's eyes as he felt his gut getting punched so hard he vomited blood. Seconds later, he was flying right into the water. He managed to get up and stand on a log, and saw Naruto standing on a log right in front of him. But this Naruto was different. His hair was all spiked up and his eyes were white. His skin was red and there was an aura of power around him.

"Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain, OPEN!"- he screamed as Sasuke's eyes widened in terror.

"IT CAN'T BE, WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT?"- Sasuke asked. The only answer he received was a kick right on his chin that sent him flying up. The water suddenly was blown back as Naruto jumped up to meet his comrade. _Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Tiger._- "Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"

Naruto didn't even say anything as he faced the fireballs that came after him. He spun and kicked all of them back at Sasuke who was already back on the log. His Sharingan, now with three tomoe let him evade all of the balls and start a new jutsu in a split second. _Horse, Tiger, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger._

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"- he spat a huge fire ball at Naruto who had just landed back in the water. The fire seared through the water's surface to face the punch of Naruto's mighty right fist that quickly disspelled the whole thing. Sasuke's eyes widened again. Naruto smirked.

"So, you like fire, aye? Well, eat this!"- he readied himself and punched the air so fast and hard that a fireball of his own formed and went flying against Sasuke who only barely avoided it. Sasuke himself was getting pissed off. _YOU ARE NOT MORE SPECIAL THAN I AM! I'M AN UCHIHA!_

_ Ox, Rabbit, Monkey, Dragon, Rat, Bird, Ox, Snake, Dog, Tiger, Monkey._ Naruto realized what his comrade was going for and charged a Rasengan on his right palm.

Sasuke's Chidori sprung to life as the Uchiha ran straight at Naruto. Since he was in the Cursed Seal's first level, and Naruto was in the Fourth Gate of Chakra, they both simply disappeared and clashed, the Rasengan and the Chidori bashing into each other creating an explosion so powerfull that the two shinobi were shot at light speed against a statue, Sasuke to Madara's and Naruto to Hashirama's.

**Shino**

Shino couldn't believe his eyes. The sound nin he was facing had just taken a thousand explosions, even if smaller ones and was still standing. Worse than that was that Jirobo was ten times more powerful. His physical shape was also changed. His hair was now growing onto his back, his skin turned orange and warts appeared all over his body.

"I've got to admit you managed to piss me off real bad. But this ends here."- Jirobo declared. Shino sweatdropped and took out the seal that had the kanji for "Fire" on it. _I'm sorry, Naruto and the others, but if this isn't the time for a last resort, I don't know what is..._

**Tenten**

"..."- _Damn, what should I do?_ Tenten thought to herself as she dodged yet another arrow. It had been four minutes since Kidomaru rose from the dead, with a third eye, red skin, longer and lighter hair, two horns and a bow made of solid gold. It wasn't easy when arrows started to come from nowhere. After so much practice, Tenten could practically feel a weapon come, but those arrows were fast, didn't make a sound and were getting more and more precise. She wouldn't last two more shots.

She felt her weapon pouch, searching for any left over weapons when she felt something weird. She took it out to see it was the "Wind" Seal. She looked at it and made a quick decision. _Either use this or die. Please forgive me, you guys..._

**Hinata**

Hinata was ready to ask Kami herself what had happened. The twins were up and running again, both in Cursed Seal level 2.

"I bet you're asking yourself what happened, bitch. Our trait isn't only to fuse our bodies with others, we can also control how fast we regenerate."- Ukon explained with a grin. Hinata sighed and reached for her weapon pouch and took out the "Earth" seal.

"I didn't want to use this, but you've brought it on yourselves. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

**Haku**

Haku merely looked at the new Tayuya. Her skin was darkened, she had six horns on her head and her hair grew. Her eyes were also darker. _I don't have any more chakra to create mirrors, and she doesn't look happy. I bet one punch from her will kill me now._ Haku felt through her weapon pouch and took out her "Water" seal.

"I've been given the mission of capturing you. I have the honesty to say I'm out of chakra and energy, but your brother hasn't come unprepared."- she said, showing her the seal before pressing on it. _Naruto-kun, I will not fail you._

**Naruto**

Naruto slowly and painfully stood up to see Sasuke looking back at him, a look of hate on his face.

"I'll admit it, Naruto, you're pretty special with the Kyuubi and those Gates, but I'm much more special."- Sasuke said as his skin became darker, a black cross appeared between his eyes and over his nose, his eyes became both yellow and black, his hair became lighter and larger, his nails became claws, and surprisingly, two wings that looked like big hands grew on his back as well.

"Why...why don't you just stop? This will only bring more pain and sorrow to either of us..."- Naruto asked. Sasuke suddenly gave him a desperate and frustrated face.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ABOUT PAIN AND SORROW? YOU NEVER HAD ANYONE WITH YOU ANYWAY! HOW COULD YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO LOSE THOSE YOU LOVE?"- Sasuke shouted at him. Naruto glared at him with his own frustration.

"I DID HAVE PEOPLE. I KNEW MY PARENTS BEFORE I DIED, I SPENT THE FIRST FOUR YEARS OF MY LIFE WITH THEM! DON'T YOU REMEMBER?"- the jinchuuriki screamed at the Uchiha, and suddenly, it struck him.

*Insert "Childhood Memories Naruto Ost" here*

_Young Naruto giggled as his father, Minato, gave him a piggy back ride on his shoulders. They had just come back from a little kunai training._

"_Dad, how do you appear on the kunai you throw? Can you teach me how to do that?"- Naruto asked with a broad smile. Minato laughed._

"_Isn't that a bit too advanced for someone your age? But ok, I promise I'll teach you tomorrow IF you eat all of the veggies tonight at dinner."- he replied. Naruto smiled again._

"_YAY! I'M GOING TO EAT ALL OF THOSE NASTY VEGETABLES AND THEN I'LL BE AS STRONG AS DAD!"- he yelled in excitement, pointing his fist at the sky._

"_Haha, that's right!"- Minato joined him and both laughed together._

"_He looks so much like you..."- Kushina commented._

"_Yeah, but he's got your attitude and smarts."- her husband replied._

"_Kushina, is that you?"- a voice was heard. They turned around to see a fair-skinned woman with long, dark hair and black eyes waving at them. She wore a simple brown blouse with a dark purple skirt and shinobi sandals. She was accompanied by a man, probably her husband who was giving a piggy back ride to a boy around Naruto's age._

_ The man had short, black hair that reached to his shoulders and onyx-coloured eyes, with visible creases below them. He wore the standard flak jacket, along with a black shirt with the Konoha Military Police Force symbol on the shoulders, shin-guards and a black, open-front apron with white diamonds on the bottom._

_ The boy had dark, spiky hair in a duck tail style and onyx eyes just like his father. He wore a simple long-sleeved black shirt with a raised collar and the Uchiha crest on the back and white shorts._

"_Mikoto? How nice to see you! How is everyone doing?"- Kushina greeted back. The two women engaged in conversation and the men laughed._

"_What's up, Minato? Or should I say, Hokage-sama?"- Mikoto's husband asked with a cheeky tone as he let the boy down. Minato followed his actions._

"_Shut up, Fugaku, you know I hate you calling me that crap."- Minato replied with a smile. They both laughed and got in a conversation themselves._

_ That left the children alone, and although they were kind of shy, the dark-haired one approached and smiled before extending his hand._

"_Hi, I'm Sasuke Uchiha. Who are you?"- Sasuke greeted. Naruto smiled back and shook his hand with fervor._

"_I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage! Believe it!"- he greeted back. Sasuke gave him a challenging look._

"_No, I'm going to be the next Hokage!"- they both took out wooden kunai and started a small fight that their mothers didn't approve of, but that the father's encouraged. Unfortunately, it ended in a clean draw._

_ The two families were about to part ways and obviously, the parents were still in conversation when the two boys approached each other again._

"_You know what, let's both be Hokage! Who says there can't be two?"- Naruto suggested. Sasuke smiled._

"_Yeah! By the way, want to come to my house later? We can train our kunai throwing and I can show you a jutsu my dad showed me!"- Sasuke replied. Naruto nodded._

"_Yes, totally! Mom, can that be?"- Naruto asked. Kushina smiled gently._

"_But of course, if that is ok with Sasuke's parents. Is it Fugaku, Mikoto?"- Kushina answered. The two laughed._

"_Well, duh. You can come by at any time, son. You're practically family!"- the leader of the police force replied. Naruto smiled._

"_Ok, it's a deal! See you!"- Minato said goodbye as he held Naruto's hand._

"_See you!"- they said back._

"_Goodbye Sasuke!"_

"_Goodbye Naruto!"_

*End Flashback*

"That was the day before the Kyuubi attacked."- the Uzumaki said.

Naruto sighed as he felt something shake in his weapon pouch. He took it out to see the Lightning Seal shining. _So the others are in trouble too, huh?_ _I see..._

"You know, I was willing to teach you a lot and get you ready for the fight with your brother, had you waited just a bit more. But it's good I didn't. You're showing your true colours now. I'd let you kill me and suffer from guilt, but there are things I've got to do before I die. I've got to rebuild my village, I've got to rebuild my clan and I've got to kill all of those responsible for the latter's destruction. And that's why..."- he explained before mashing the seal with his palm.- "...I'm going to use this!"

*Insert "Naruto Ost Need To Be Strong" here*

Blinding light came from it, and numerous inscriptions on the tag that couldn't be seen before moved their way up and over all of Naruto's body, before conjoining together into a lightning tattoo on the midle of his upper chest. Before even two seconds passed, the tattoo expanded itself, covering Naruto's body in symbols before they began to unite. His skin was darker as well and his hair became white. His blue eyes turned silver and his teeth and nails became fangs and claws. White, feathered angel wings came out of his back and electricity occasionally sparkled around his limbs.

Sasuke took a step back in sheer terror as Naruto ran towards him.

**Shino**

Shino mashed the seal with his left palm and immediately felt the massive ammount of chakra flowing through the tag into him, spreading through his body, concentrating on his right shoulder in a fire tattoo and then spreading again. His hair grew up and became pitch black, his glasses broke apart with the sheer force of the new chakra level, revealing blood red eyes. He rose his hands to show that they were covered in fire, just like the rest of his body.

_ I guess this is the last resort you were talking about, Naruto._ Shino asked some of his bugs to come out only to realize they had changed shape as well. They were now firebugs! And covered in fire as well.

Jirobo looked in horror as Shino gave him a fanged grin and a demonic look as the bugs came flying into him and exploding one at a time.

**Tenten**

Tenten touched the paper tag and sent chakra into it and immediately felt the "Wind" as the sealings went up her body and conjoined in a tattoo of a tornado on the palm of her left hand. Her hair popped out of her buns into a straight hair style, but aside that, her physical appearance didn't change much. Her body was enveloped in a little tornado and two daggers came out of her own palms. It was strange, but it felt natural to her.

Both of the blades were sharpened with Wind Release and she didn't hesitate in jumping in the air and cross-slicing, sending two blades made of wind in an "X" shape, cutting through every tree until they found Kidomaru's poor anatomy. She smirked.

**Hinata**

Hinata used the "Earth" seal and the effects were visible almost immediately. She got on all-fours, her teeth became fangs, her nails claws, her hair became red and her eyes turned into black slits. Chakra evaporated from her body and took form around her hands, forming lion heads.

Sakon and Ukon shouted in fear as she galloped towards them, ready to mash the two fists into their guts.

**Haku**

Haku activated the seal just as Tayuya was about to punch her. The inscriptions went through her body before conjoining in her middle back in a wave tattoo. Her physique was not altered, but her chakra levels went through the roof and a splash of water blocked Tayuya's punch in a split second, confusing the red-haired kunoichi. She followed up with a series of kicks and punches that were blocked by the same water.

"What the fuck? What the hell is going on, you bitch?"- Tayuya asked, absolutely confused. Haku's ANBU mask dropped and she smirked.

"Watch out for the slippery icy floor..."- Tayuya slipped on an icy tree trunk and fell to the ground where Haku trapped her in an ice globe like a hamster. _Zabuza-san, this one's for you...Ox, Monkey, Hare, Rat, Boar, Bird, Ox, Horse, Bird, Rat, Tiger, Dog, Tiger, Snake, Ox, Ram, Snake, Boar, Ram, Rat, Yang Water, Monkey, Bird, Dragon, Bird, Ox, Horse, Ram, Tiger, Snake, Rat, Monkey, Hare, Boar, Dragon, Ram, Rat, Ox, Monkey, Bird, Yang Water, Rat, Boar, Bird._- "Suiton: Suiryuudan no jutsu!"

**Naruto**

They were both beat out. Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. Even after everything he had thrown that the dobe, Naruto was still up with a smirk. Even the cursed seal's level 2 hadn't been enough.

"Who are you?"- Sasuke muttered between deep breaths. Naruto took a bunch of deep breaths of his own, tired out, before grinning and replying.

"According to some, I'm a demon, according to others, an angel. I don't really know who I am, and frankly, I don't think I'd like it if I found out. But right now, I'm your opponent and your best friend, and will break every fucking bone you own to change your mind. And if that doesn't work, I'll kill you!"- he answered. Sasuke got pissed off again and readied himself. Each were standing on their statues. Sasuke in Madara's and Naruto in Hashirama's.

_ Ox, Rabbit, Monkey._ Sasuke readied his right hand and lightning came out of it. It was a whole lot more powerful than the Chidori, and the Cursed Seal's level 2 made it look black instead of blue.

Naruto readied his own right hand and created a Rasengan the size of a rubber ball before electricity crackled around it.

"NARUTO!"

"SASUKE!"

They both flew to each other, using their seal-given wings and mashed both of the insanely powerfull jutsus against each other.

"RAIKIRI!"

"UZUSHIOKIRI!"

The two jutsus reacted to each other so violently that instead of exploding, they imploded before creating a pitch black ball of darkness around the two shinobi. Both of their cursed seal attributes went back into the seals since the power had ran out. Sasuke tried to punch Naruto in the gut but was blocked and punched back, making him bow a bit.

"Sorry, best friend, but you've got to eat a whole lot of rice to beat me."- the black ball exploded and they both went flying into the water.

Naruto managed to retain his consciousness and took hold of his ex-comrade, letting him fall on the ground, coughing water. The Uzumaki grabbed Sasuke's forehead protector and a kunai before horizontally scratching the Leaf symbol. By now, Sasuke was barely staggering to his feet.

Naruto threw the scratched hitai-ite at Sasuke, making him fall again.

"Now listen to me, you're leaving this Country as a missing-nin. You can never return to Konoha. I'm letting you live because you used to be my friend, but I guarantee that if I see you again I will end your pathetic life. Now get the fuck out of here!"- Naruto kicked him in the ass and watched as Sasuke stumbled away, a look of terror on his face.

Naruto sighed as Sasuke got out of sight and turned around to backtrack all the way back to the village. Apparently, he had some explaining to do.

He walked through the dark cave, through Kimimaro's remains and boneyard, through the ravine where Sakon and Ukon lied dead, through the forest where Haku's needles and water dragon bullet had marked the trees and ground, through the zone where all of the trees were chopped, and Kidomaru's limbs were scattered everywhere, cleanly cut. Through the part where the trees, the ground and Jirobo were all incinerated by Shino's firebugs.

Wherever Naruto passed, there was destruction. He had his teammates follow him back, saying no words until they reached the village.

They entered Konohagakure, catching everyone's eye as soon as they came into sight. Their clothes were torn apart, revealing each of their tattoos, but no one asked a thing before they entered the Hokage's office.

"Hokage-sama, the Konoha Five here to report. Mission insuccessful and successful at the same time."- Naruto spoke. Tsunade rose an eyebrow and told Shizune to close the door.

"There is no need to report what happened. We've got cameras all over the country and saw each of the fights, but how exactly was the mission successful?"- she replied. Naruto sighed.

"We've eliminated four potential threats to the village, captured one of them and I've got a tracker on Sasuke. We can find out each of Orochimaru's hideouts that way."- he explained. Again, Tsunade rose an eyebrow.

"Captured one?"- she asked. Naruto pointed to Haku, who was holding the unconscious body of Tayuya.

"I request that Tayuya is sent to the hospital. I'll interrogate her myself later."- the Uzumaki asked. Tsunade nodded, and Shizune took Tayuya away.

"Well, since this mission was more successful than I thought possible with only Four Genin and One Chuunin when it'd be ANBU material, I'm promoting all Four of you, including Haku, to high Chuunin rank and you may participate in this year's Jounin Shiken. Go home and make your families proud. And Haku, I bet Zabuza will be proud as well. Now, go!"- Shino, Tenten, Haku and Hinata all left.

"Naruto, let's all meet up for ramen at dinner. Say, Seven o' clock?"- Shino suggested. Naruto nodded and they left.

"Shizune, this is something private. Please leave, you can't hear what I'm about to say."- Tsunade ordered. Shizune nodded and went out. Before the Hokage could do anything, Naruto cast a privacy jutsu.

"Now we can talk. What is it you wanted to tell me, Hokage-sama? If it is about the screw up in the mission, I'm sorry but I felt like I needed to give him a chance. Next time, I'll kill him."- Naruto swore. Tsunade shook her head.

"No, that is not what I want to talk to you about. You did not screw up, you did what a shinobi would do. What I wish to talk to you about is your promotion."- she suprised him. His face expressed confusion.

"But..."- he started.

"But nothing. I handicapped you severely in this mission to test it out and see if you were ready. In less than a day, you organized a perfect team of Genin to face your targets, you prepared specific seals to aid in the mission and you eliminated four enemies of Konoha, captured one and drove another one into running away. You've shown to be very good with seals and taijutsu. You've mastered Rasengan and can open Four Gates. You can also control the Kyuubi's ominous chakra even when Nuibari's killing intention is trying to disturb your chakra. You're more than qualified for this promotion."- Tsunade snapped her fingers, and Four ANBU appeared in front of her, each held a uniform piece. One had the mask for a dog, one the mask for a cat, another a mask for a snake, and the last had a mask for a dragon. The Dog held shin and forearm guards, the Cat held the pants, footwear and gloves, the Snake held the torso light armor, and the Dragon held a mask. It was a fox's mask.- "These will be your new family..."

"Tsunade-sama, please, before you continue, I can't accept this. My plans-"- Naruto tried.

"Your plans are to leave the village and rebuild Uzushiogakure before killing any who were involved in its destruction. I figured out as much, but you've still got a long way before you can achieve that. Your enemies are strong and you're still just a child. I suggest you stay with us the next three years, sharpening your skills, getting money from missions and preparing yourself. You'll receive training from the best out of the ANBU, get access to the Hokage's personal library and a whole lot more."- Tsunade explained. Naruto thought for a couple of moments.

"What do you want in return?"- he asked. All of the ANBU smirked, though their masks didn't let that be seen. _This kid's smart._

"I want it so that whenever Uzushiogakure is rebuilt by you, and I know it will be, that it's in peace with Konoha. I know some of your targets are from Konoha, and you can face those however you wish, but leave the rest of Konoha unscathed. That's all I ask."- she offered. It wasn't a hard decision for Naruto, since he had that figured out already. He nodded.

"Ok, then welcome to the ANBU Black Ops. These Four will be your team. Inu, Neko, Hebi and is the team leader. This team's purpose is assassination and seals, just like yours. Your codename will be-"

"Tsunade no baachan, can I ask something of you?"- Naruto asked. She nodded.- "I don't want a fox mask. I'm not the fox inside me, rather, it is me instead. And if for the next three years I'm going to have one name, I'd rather have one I like instead of being called Kitsune."

"Ok. Which one would you want and what mask?"

"Give me a wolf mask, call me Ookami or Kiba."- he said. Yamato disappeared before appearing again, a wolf mask on his hand. He was handed his uniform, as he thanked each of his new teammembers, and put the clothes on right in front of them, as ordered. _If we're brothers and sisters, I guess I have to get used to this._ The outfit looked good on him, as if he was supposed to wear it.

"Your first mission is to be ready in that outfit at three am this night. Your teammates will be there to get you. They will take you to the ANBU HQ and show you around before telling you how things go there. Congratulations, Naruto. You may leave now."- she declared. Naruto smiled, not that it could be seen through his wolf mask and turned around, but before he left the room he had one final thing to say.

"You know, Kakashi-sensei, you're full of surprises. I thought you had quit the ANBU. I haven't seen the Inu mask in so long, but whatever."- he walked out of the office, leaving the ANBU members dumbfounded. Tsunade smirked.

"I told you he was worthy of being in the ANBU."

A couple of hours later he was having dinner with all four of his teammates. No one had said a word, and he didn't want to do it, but he tried to break the ice.

"So, everyone ok?"- yeah, smooth as fuck.

"I'm fine, thanks."- Shino replied before getting back to his salad.

"Aside a few cuts, I'm good."- Tenten followed.

"I'm ok, Naruto-kun."- Hinata answered.

"I am better than ever, Naruto-kun. Thank you."- Haku said, lastly. Naruto decided to rethink his strategy, since the current one wasn't going well.

"Listen, guys, I'm really sorry for everything that happened. Me trying to prevent you from dying ended up giving you a scar on your bodies, suffering and for nothing...I understand if from now on you don't want to talk to me anymore-"- he began.

"Dude, shut up. It wasn't for nothing. Thanks to you, we overcame our fears-"- Shino said.

"We fought to reach our goals, we gained experience and knowledge-"- Tenten followed.

"We did what others thought impossible, and quite frankly-"- Hinata continued.

"-these tattoos are freaking awesome."- Haku finished. They all smiled at him.

"There was no day that my parents were more proud of me than today."- Hinata announced.

"My father said he was going to smith me the best dagger he's ever smithed because of my work."- Tenten followed.

"I am now hailed as the next Aburame Shibi of my clan. It's conforting to know people think I am as talented as my father."- Shino said.

"Zabuza-san couldn't be happier than he was when I told him I was a Chuunin. He treats me like a daughter."- again, it was finished by Haku.

"You know what, most of the shinobi groups split up as they grow, let's not let that happen. We've been through this whole thing together, we can go through more. These seals are part of us now. Let's make a group."- Shino suggested. The others quickly agreed.- "What about the Konoha Five?"

"Nah, the eleven Genin are already called in a similar way, what out the Fantastic Five?"- Tenten followed.

"That sounds a bit cheesy. I say we're named the Five Assassins."- Haku took her part in.

"But two of us didn't even get to kill our targets. What about the Pure Five? Like, instead of being Evil because of Orochimaru's seal like our targets, we're Pure because of Naruto's seals?"- Hinata spoke, surprising everyone.

"No. Let's call ourselves, the Elementals."- Naruto suggested.

"Yeah, the Elementals, I like the way that sounds!"

"Sure thing!"

And so they became a group. They joked and traded mission stories all evening, bonding after such a traumatic experience. That was the thing with young shinobi, though. In situations where normal children would sit in a corner and cry, they just drank a soda and talked with their partners. They were cut from a different cloth.

It ended around two am when Teuchi Ichiraku and Ayame said they had to close. The Five excused themselves and paid for everything. They were about to say goodbye to each other when Naruto had an idea. They all raced to the Hokage Monument and stood on top of the Fourth's head.

"Are you all sure you want to be a part of the Konoha Elementals?"- Naruto asked with a solemn face. They all nodded.- "Then let's perform a blood pact."

They all cut both of their palms with their kunai and then made a five-pointed star with their arms as they united their palms against one another. Shino was by Naruto's right, Naruto's right palm united with Shino's left and so on and so forth.

"Everyone sure?"- Naruto asked again. They all nodded.- "Seal!"

The wounds closed almost immediately, and they could all feel something deeper with one another.

"Now we're not just friends, we're brothers and sisters. There are no secrets among us and we can always count on one another."- Naruto announced. They all smiled at the same time.

"If there are no secrets, you can tell us what Tsunade-sama told you after we left, right?"- Shino asked.

"Yeah, but don't tell anyone. I've been promoted to ANBU operative."- he announced. Tenten's mouth gaped.

"No way.."

"Yes way. I was just as surprised. I'm supposed to meet them in about half an hour to get shown around the ANBU HQ..."- he said. They all were quiet for a bit.

"Well, if somebody deserves it, it is you Naruto-kun. Congratulations."- Haku eventually spoke with a smile on her face. The others quickly agreed and they were about to part ways when Tenten remembered something.

"Oh, by the way, how did those seals effect us, Naruto? I've never heard of anyone's but Orochimaru's seals doing that."- she asked. The others were also curious. He smiled.

"Basically, I just added a bit to your Kekkei Genkai. Everybody has a special trait, I just gave you a kickstart. Tenten, your clan is known in other countries for being able to create metal out of your hands. Your father has to know this, so just ask him about it. Shino, the Aburame have so much history it was bound for some of you to have a more distinctive Kekkei Genkai than others. Some of your family has nano bugs, you have firebugs. Haku, I basically only gave you a chakra boost and a Water shield since you have a Kekkei Genkai of your own. And Hinata, your clan might be very formal and constrained, but your strongest members are the ones who let their wild side go. That's what your seals do. They're pretty much a key to unlock your powers, and they will become stronger as you do. Just let it happen. Of course, for you to use the powers, you still have to use the seals."- Naruto explained with a smile on his face.

"What does yours do? Shizune showed us a recording of your fight with Sasuke, how did you get those wings?"- Shino asked.

"Well, you know how my father's and the Second Hokage's secret technique is called, Flying Thunder God? Well, it was created after Tobirama Senju saw one of the original members of my father's clan, the Namikaze. They had the power to free their wings and control Lightning chakra really well. I just gave myself a kickstart too."- he revealed. Everyone thought for a moment and then nodded with smiles on their faces. It was good to know everyone had something about them that made them special.

They said goodbye and walked away from each other, but since they were going to the same part of town, Naruto and Hinata walked together. However, it wasn't as heart-warming as it sounds. It was pretty silent until they reached the Hyuuga's Estate Gate, and Hinata turned to the Uzumaki.

"Naruto-kun, I've got something important to say, and I ask that you do not interrupt me. I've thought about this over and over again as we walked here and a bit as we walked back to the village after the mission. I think things will not work out between the two of us. Your dreams, and I can see which they are with these two eyes, will drive you away and maybe against Konoha, but Konoha is my home. And now since you're in ANBU, you'll probably have no time for me, and all those assassinations could alter your personality. I say we both walk away from this before either gets hurt."- she spoke. He couldn't believe his ears as he heard the thing that probably hurt him more than all of the beatings the villagers had given him put together. Hinata kissed his lips one last time before drawing back.- "Good night, and forgive me, Naruto-kun."

With that, she left him there, alone, as she walked into her family's Estate. Ironically, it started raining.

He could have used the Hiraishin, he could have summoned a toad that could carry him there, he could have called a cab. He could have done a thousand things to avoid getting soaked in the rain water, but he didn't do any of those. He slowly walked home.

He approached the old building that the Third Hokage had given him and unsealed the door before closing it and sealing it again. He took a nice shower, trying to wash his worries away before drying himself off. He reached his bedroom and was about to fall on the bed when he saw his ANBU outfit laying there and four shadows appeared outside his window.

He looked at the outfit and then at the clock. "03:00 am"

"Oh, give me a break!"

He quickly threw his outfit on. Right now he had nothing in his life but the Konoha Elementals which couldn't really help him and the ANBU, so he might as well try the second one out.

He opened his window to see them all standing in the emergency stair's metal bars.

"Ready?"- Yamato asked. Naruto took a deep breath.

"I'm ready."

They ran, or rather, shadow-stepped (teleport through short distances) all the way through the village until they reached Ichiraku's Ramen. Naruto rose one of his eyebrows.

"Hehe, we knew we had to hide the ANBU HQ as well as possible, so we thought, why not under everyone's sight? People pass by here every day and never even imagined."- Hebi joked. Naruto already had a pretty good idea of who she was.

They passed by the Ramen Shop's entrance, and Teuchi Ichiraku was there to meet them. He guided them to his kitchen and into a trapdoor he had there.

One by one, they descended into the dark, and just when it was Naruto's time, he walked past the old man, looking him in the eye, his wolf mask still on. But, with mask or not, he could have sworn the man recognized him and his face expression became sad. _How things change in so little time._

Naruto descended into the darkness, and the trapdoor was closed. His eyes, being of a shinobi, were adapted to pitch black darkness, and he could see pretty well.

He followed his teammates through a series of tunnels before they opened a metal door. It was like they were walking into a different world.

The corridors were all very well lit and it seemed like everyone was always busy, walking from a room to another with files or strange weapons in their hands.

There were rooms open, like big libraries and relaxing rooms with couches and tvs, vending machines and other things. But there were also closed rooms with only a bit of glass on the doors that allowed for them to see someone being interrogated or tortured.

"That's the living room, where you can rest and talk with your teammates while not in missions or work. You've got gaming consoles, computers, televisions, free food and anything you need to relax."- Yamato explained as they passed through the biggest room they had seen yet. Then, they passed through something a bit different.- "That's the cell block. It's a prison for people who're too dangerous to be locked up in normal prisons. Tayuya is there. And if you want to talk to her, you've got these series of rooms beside every cell that you can use to interrogate them in."

Naruto nodded as Yamato guided him to another part of the underground building. It was a series of identical rooms, around a hundred of them.

"When you're admitted into the ANBU, you get two choices. One, you became a full time operative, which comes with more privileges but you have to eat, sleep and do pretty much everything except missions here, or you become a half-time member, keeping your own life but performing missions for this association. What's your pick?"- Yamato asked him. Naruto thought for a bit before shrugging.

"I really have no life behind me except a couple of friends who I see from time to time. If you let me out for training with one or two of them like Zabuza and Haku, I won't complain in spending the rest of my time here."- he said. Yamato nodded.

"Full time it is, of course, with time for breaks as well. Come with me."- Yamato guided him to his room and handed him a key.- "Go on in."

Naruto unlocked the door and entered his now new home. It had a king sized bed, a laptop, a small lcd tv, a nice pile of scrolls in a desk and black ink. It also had a small vault and a weapon rack. Naruto opened his mouth in surprise. He thought he'd get a really crappy room as if he was joining the regular army. Yamato smiled underneath his mask.

"Our phylosophy is to keep the soldiers happy enough to want to come back home."- he explained. Naruto smiled.- "Now, since we're supposed to create new lives, you aren't really allowed to bring anything here aside weapons or ninja tools except one object and one picture."

Naruto threw the Fuma Shuriken on the weapons rack, together with all of his shuriken or kunai. He also took out all of his sealing tags and spread them across the desk, something that caught Hebi and Neko's attention. _Those are complex as fuck! _Hebi thought to herself.

The object he chose was his Uzumaki Clan Scroll, and about the picture, he was conflicted. Sasuke had left the team, and so the team would probably disband since he had no time for it anymore, so there was no reason for it to be there. He thought of a picture of Hinata, but it also didn't make sense since they were over.

So he decided to keep the only picture he had that could make any sense at all. A picture of him, his father and Kushina, all happily eating ramen. He looked up to Yamato.

"I think I'm done here."

The dragon masked agent nodded and thought for a bit.

"Ok, we can't do anything else here before we get you your sign."- he said. Naruto rose an eyebrow, and Yamato guessed it.- "Next up is informing you of who we are and the missions we'll be completing next. Also, you'll have this next week for training, which is top secret, since top secret techniques will be taught to you. We can't do that before you swear yourself as one of us. That is done by getting the ANBU tattoo. Hebi will be giving you that."

"I can give it to you here, if you want to. And I'm not just talking about the tattoo."- she joked. Naruto laughed a bit.

"Ok. Will the rest of you be watching as she draws the tattoo on me?" he asked. They shook their heads.

"We've got to report the addition of a new agent. Believe me, it'll be big news. We haven't had a new agent in years. See you in a bit."- the three walked out of the room and closed the door behind them. Hebi already had the ink and needle in her hands. Naruto took off his forearm protectors to let her make the tattoo.

"You can take the rest of the top part off if you want, I already know you're Naruto, and you don't really need to be shy around me since I've already seen you naked."- she suggested as she remembered seeing him undress and dress in the Hokage office right in front of them. She smiled to herself. Naruto nodded and took the rest off.

"You can also take your mask off, I already know it's you, Anko."- he said. She froze for a bit before taking her mask off.

"How did you know?"- she asked as she began working.

"Easy. Sex jokes, the Snake mask and voice. The smell was also a given."- he explained. She smirked.

"Smell? Do I smell that bad?"

"No, it's because you smell good that it was so easy. Zabuza had me train how to fight blind, and what you most rely in is sound and smell, since the other two alternatives are too dangerous. Your smell is nice, like incense with just a touch of blood."- he replied. She blushed just a bit, since she wasn't accustomed to being complimented like that. She was already halfway on the tattoo. Her eyes wandered over his lightning tattoo for a bit.

"That's a nice one, is it the seal you implanted on yourself today, while fighting Sasuke?"- she asked. He nodded. She changed her position a bit, letting him catch a glimpse of her own.

"What's that?"- he asked. She sighed.

"Great, now I'm getting a new hater. You just entered the ANBU and seemed cute, and are already going to antagonize me."- she said. He rose an eyebrow.

"And why would I do that?"- she sighed again before showing him the complete curse seal. It was just like the one Sasuke had, but a more primitive version.

"There, happy? I guess you'll start treating me like trash, just like most do."- She complained. He shook his hand.

"That's Orochimaru's seal, right? Tell me the story of how you got it."- he asked. She sighed again and decided it would be better to finish the tattoo while telling him everything.

She told him of how she was an orphan, and the one who took her in and treated her like a daughter, was Orochimaru. She trusted him completely, and he became her mentor, her sensei.

Everything was well until one day he decided he wanted to test something on her. She allowed him to, and Bam. Before she knew it, she was tossed aside like trash and had a cursed seal on her right shoulder. By then, she had finished the tattoo.

Naruto was an official ANBU. But he didn't grasp the moment and enjoy it. He was determined to help his now new teammate.

"So? Any good shinobi would understand you had no other choice. When you choose your sensei, you're bound by law to obey him or her. It's how things are. How could anyone discriminate you just based on that?"- he asked. Anko blinked her eyes quickly, astounded. By now was the time they normally called her snake slut or missing-nin lover.

"You've got no idea, kid. Aside Yamato, Neko, Inu and the Hokage, you're the only one who doesn't hate me. Or still don't."- she answered.

"What if I remove that seal for you? Would that change anything?"- Naruto suggested. Anko's eyes widened.

"Y-you can do that? Really? No jokes?"- she quickly asked, looking at him as if he was an angel. He nodded.

"I'm an Uzumaki and a Namikaze at the same time. I can remove that thing for you in a blink. It'll need some preparing, but-"- he didn't get a chance at finishing his statement. Anko had pounced him and was kissing him deeply on the lips. It wasn't until two minutes later that she let him go.-"Uh, wow."

"When can you do it?"- she asked, excited.

"How about after we get our mission? I'll call off a bit of free time and we'll take care of it, but why are you so eager? Isn't it something that helps you in battles?"- he responded. She sighed.

"You should know what it's like, being hated for having a seal you didn't even want. Every time that bastard's around I feel pain, and he could kill me with a handsign. I don't want him to have that power over me. I want my life back."- she answered. He nodded.- "Thanks to him, I've been called snake slut, missing-nin lover, kunoichi whore, cumdump and much worse..."

"No worries, that's about to end."- then the door opened and their teammates took them to the third underground floor. Tsunade was awaiting there.

"Kiba, Yamato, Hebi, Neko and Inu, your mission is to assassinate a nest of missing-nin southwest of here, they are all heavily..."- and so she gave them all the details.

Naruto steeled himself. _This is the life of a shinobi._

(And there you go! The Final chapter of Uzumaki Naruto the Taijutsu Master's PART I. I've made a poll that I hope is on my profile regarding wether you want me to continue in shippuden or not. If you can't vote through pole, please, please, do so by PM or Review. Also, since there is a probability that the fiction will end here, please Review regarding your experience reading it which I hope was good. Thank you for the over Four Thousand and Seven Hundred views and so far the Four reviews. I love you all, and again, review, it makes me write much, much faster.)


	22. Shippuden Chapter 1

Shippuden

Chapter 1

"Inu, requesting directions for nearest target, the visibility is zero...over."- the blond jinchuuriki whispered while holding the "press-to-talk" ear walkie talkie.

A couple of sniffs were heard through the walkie talkie before Kakashi's voice made itself heard.

"The target is approximately fifteen metres in front of you, straight line, and is currently sitting. Over."- the cyclops replied. Naruto smiled, it was his hundredth assassination mission, and the most dangerous one. They were to assassinate an S-rank missing-nin that had an army of thugs guarding him. The mission itself was to kill him and disappear without alarming the thugs.

"Ok, thank you. Dragon, do I have permission to kill? Over."- he requested. A couple of seconds passed as Yamato confirmed with Hebi (Anko) and Neko (Yugao) that the "army" was distracted and Toruza (the target) was alone.

"You have permission, Kiba. Over and out."- at this, Naruto readied himself. He had so many options. Throw Nuibari through him, slash him in two or a multitude of other things, but he decided to go for the most flashy. _**Kid, you're in the fucking ANBU, you're supposed to be discrete.**_ Kyuubi made itself heard inside of him. Naruto sighed. _Fine._

He jumped down from the tree branch he was hanging from and ran at his target, using chakra control to make his running soft and unheard. His frame was now much taller than before, and slim, but muscled. He wore the normal ANBU outfit and the mask, but he kept his White Crow fingerless gloves on and had a black hooded jacket with the Uzumaki symbol on the back. _Kyuu-chan, remind me to update my outfit when we get to Konoha._ He asked. **Bite me. **Was his answer, making him smirk. He unsheathed Nuibari for the first and final blow, but his sword came to a stop, colliding against Toruza's own sword. Naruto smirked, the last few twenty-five hits (assassinations) hadn't been easy either. The sword wasn't common, though. Naruto could swear he knew it, but kept himself from thought as he saw the target opening his mouth to summon his minions.

An elbow to the kisser was enough to shut him up for a bit before spinning and side-kicking the missing-nin, sending him flying against a tree.

"Come on, can't "The Ripper" provide challenge for a mere Chuunin such as myself?"- Naruto taunted. He took a bit of time to inspect his opponent's sword until he came to a sudden realization. _That's KubiKiriBocho!_- "Where did you get that sword?"

"I killed its owner with it, what's it to you, asshole?"- he replied. Naruto rose an eyebrow.

"Really? You killed Kaiba Zanbato for Kubikiribocho?"- he asked, doubt spread on his face. Toruza laughed and nodded.

"Yup, and you're next."- the S-ranked ninja threatened. Naruto rolled his eyes behind his mask and took a deep breath.

"Wrong. The previous owner of that sword is Momochi Zabuza, an expert at assassination. Let's see if you truly deserve that weapon by fighting with zero eyesight."- he took a second deep breath.- "Ninpo: Dokugiri!"

Toruza's face was one of panic as he saw the purple mist filling the entire area. He wasn't really known for his speed and if he breathed even a bit he'd be dead!

Naruto, on the other hand, was an expert at fighting while only using his sense of smell and hearing, plus, he was immune to the poison.

Yes, you all guessed it. Suddenly, punches and kicks came raining down on Toruza, beating him to a bloody pulp until Naruto threw Nuibari, piercing the man's throat and a tree, before pulling the sword's string. With a couple of more throws, the missing-nin was crucified on the tree, with no signs of life. He took hold of KubiKiriBocho and quickly used Hiraishin to appear by Hebi's side.

"Who the fuck's Kaiba Zanbato?"- she whispered.

"How should I know?"- he replied. She laughed. _Just like him..._ They went to meet their other teammates at a clearing far away, to confirm they were alive and the mission was successful. Naruto thought he'd receive compliments on the success, but life isn't that easy.

"What the hell are you doing carrying that sword? It's not particularly small and discrete, his thugs will know it's missing!"- Neko complained. Naruto turned to Yamato. He was the leader, he was the one who needed the explanations.

"I brought this sword for three reasons. One, it's obviously been stolen and belongs to a ninja of Konoha. Two, the missing sword will probably add to the confusion of his minions, making them think he was only killed for it and divert the suspicions, and three, by taking it we are insuring that Konoha keeps two of the Seven Legendary Swords. They're valuable military power, in my own opinion."- he explained. Yamato had no real argument against that, even though all three reasons were flawed. Zabuza was a missing-nin and more of a prisoner than a ninja of Konoha. The sword wasn't common knowledge, and the thugs probably didn't even know its worth and if the only person who knows how to wield the sword in Konoha is not an active ninja, it doesn't really add up to military power.

"Ok, whatever, let's just return to the village."- Yamato ordered and they started the marathon. Anko and Naruto were in the back of the group. The snake mistress approached the jinchuuriki with an eerie yet seductive tone.

"I love it when you manipulate people...you're lucky we're still out here or I would have pounced you by now..."- she whispered. Chills went through his spine.

"For the last time Anko, nothing's happening between us, why are you so insistent?"- he replied. A giggle came from her.

"Don't you remember?"

Flashback

They were finally back from their first, yet hard mission. A double assassination staged as a single accident. Naruto was exhausted, but he had made a promise, and if there was something he was known for, it was for fulfilling his promises.

He finished his report for the Hokage and delivered it before heading back to his room. He entered and closed the door behind his back, getting rid of the outfit. He was naked from waist up when he noticed the shadow hanging from the ceiling, behind the door.

"I'd give it a couple of seconds to try and find out who it is by smell, but I'm too tired even for that. Who is there?"- he asked with a sigh. The silhouette dropped down and stepped out of the shadows. A familiar face came to light.- "Anko?"

"So, first mission got you this tired already, huh? You're going to have to buckle up, kid, we're just getting started."- she commented. Naruto nodded.

"And you think I don't know that? But you guys probably laid most of the work this mission on me, damn trolls. So, what are you here for?"- he replied. She rose an eyebrow, as if expecting him to know.

"Unless you want some lessons in seducing kunoichi, I'm pretty sure I'd only be here for one other reason..."- she answered, flashing her cursed seal. Naruto sighed.

"You know, I've been thinking and I don't know if I should remove it at all."- the jinchuuriki confessed. Anko's eyes widened, and Naruto was soon thankful that he had placed a privacy seal on the door and walls.

*Insert "Naruto Unreleased Ost: Memories" here*

"WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DONT KNOW IF YOU SHOULD REMOVE IT? YOU PROMISED ME, WHAT THE FUCK CHANGED?"- Anko shouted back. Naruto bowed his head with regret.- "Is it about pay? Because I'll give you all my money, everything I own, even my fucking clothes-!"

"It's not about pay! It's about your health! Listen, I've looked into it and have done a whole lot of research. The cursed seal is a two way ride, understand? When you put it on, only one out of ten people make it. When you take it out, same thing, but it's as if it was a whole new gamble, understand? You could die!"- Naruto explained. Anko shook her head in frustration as multiple flashbacks came to her. The day she met Orochimaru, the day he first taught her a technique, the day he officially adopted her, and all of the two years she spent with him, until that hated and despised day.

Flashback Within Flashback (I know, Inception)

"_Tell me, Child, do you remember what I asked of you when I took you as my student?"- Orochimaru asked as they sat on the grass. They were in front of one of the Snake Sannin's hideouts, meditating. Anko nodded._

"_You asked me to always obey you, no matter what. And that's what I'll do sensei."- she replied happily. He smiled._

"_Good. Do you want to become strong?"_

"_Yes, sensei, I want to be as strong as you!"_

"_I've got a way for you to become very strong in just a bit of time. But I need you to trust me."_

_ A couple of days later, she was exhausted with her training. Her master wanted her to let the cursed seal run wild, but she didn't have enough will or hate to do it, and it was visibly frustrating him._

"_You don't have any chakra of your own! Your only hope to survive this is to use your cursed seal! USE IT!"- Orochimaru demanded. Her standard training was being put in a arena with lions, but that day, she had a handicap. She had been forced to exhaust all of her chakra, so all she could rely on was her cursed seal._

_But in the end, she couldn't use it._

"_I have no use for a weak student. I'm leaving you here. Make sure you at least give the lions a good meal."- he declared before walking out. Her small sobs of "master, help me" were the only sounds in the cage before the lions approached._

End Flashback within Flashback

"This seal has been haunting my life for so long I don't even know what living without it is. It's brought me more pain than anything else. When I look at myself in the mirror, I see him standing behind me. Some of my colleagues talk to me before calling me a whore or a snake slut behind my back. Some do it right to my face. So I am begging you..."- by then she was on her knees, a look of desperation on her aspect.- "I'll be your best friend, your mother, your personal hitwoman, your thief for hire, your slave, fuck-buddy, cumdump, whatever! I'll do anything, just please take this seal off of me!"

Naruto sighed. There was nothing he could do to convince her. He told her to undress from the waist up and kneel in the middle of the room. She stood completely still for an entire hour as Naruto used a special painting brush to perfectly draw every single one of the hundreds of symbols he drew around her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"- he finally asked, dropping the brush. She gulped down her fear and nodded.- "Ok. Here goes...REMOVE!"

He placed his palm on top of her cursed seal, making all of the symbols run up her body. She screamed in pain as the symbols attached to the "three tomoe" of the Cursed Seal of Heaven, and made them spin clockwise instead of counter-clockwise.

It spun, increasing the velocity every millisecond until it became impossible for the human eye to see. Then, the three tomoe were simply pulled apart from each other, and dragged out of her body into the floor where all the symbols converged on each other and disappeared in smoke.

Anko, completely exhausted, didn't even have the energy to mutter anything or even gasp as she fell forward.

Naruto tried to catch her and prevent her from falling, but since he was behind her, he ended up grabbing her two breasts. _Oh, thank God she's not awake. _He slid her into his bed and slept on the ground. It was uncomfortable, but what was he to do?

End Flashback

"I told you I'd be your fuck-buddy, Cumdump, slave, and anything else. It's practically my duty to get you off..."- she declared. Naruto facepalmed.

"What a god damned tease..."- he muttered as they entered the village. **Hey asshole, didn't you want to change your outfit?** Kyuubi reminded him. He smiled, but before he knew it, his wallet was gone. Anko had it and was winking at him with her mask to her side, luring him into a dark alley.

"Awh jeez..."

(Hey guys, I know this one wasn't as good, but it was the first chapter, I am really tired and couldn't come up with something better. Anyway, hope you enjoy it, as always, Favorite/Follow if you like it and Review, it makes me write like Taz from Looney Tunes after drinking coffee.)


	23. Shippuden Chapter 2

Shippuden

Chapter 2

Goodbye To Konoha

After he had "persuaded" the wallet away from Anko, he quickly reported in back to ANBU headquarters. It had been his last active mission.

In those three years, he had rosen up from ANBU Operative, to ANBU Assassin, to ANBU Special Assassin, ANBU Black Operations Assassin, ANBU Black Operations S-Rank Assassin, ANBU Black Operations Commander and finally to ANBU Black Operations Lieutenant Colonel.

According to many of his colleagues, he could have made it all the way to the top, to ANBU Triple S-Rank Black Operations General Assassin Of The Army, a rank that only two people had ever achieved, but he didn't really want it. He was their top killer and that was enough. He had fulfilled his promise and had been trained as well as could be. He had picked up a series of amazing taijutsu techniques along the way, and even made some of his own. Techniques that would be capable of dealing with entire armies at a time.

He had made friends, he had made enemies, but all in all, it had been a good run, at least in his opinion. His teammates, Neko, Dragon, Inu and Hebi had all gathered up at Teuchi's Ramen Stand to pay for his last dinner in the village, and he was already heading there.

It was a casual dinner, no masks on, no ANBU outfit, just like a normal friend hang-out. Just like they were all needing.

He entered the shack, where Teuchi and Ayame were already waiting with a smile. The rest of his group were all sitting on the benches, looking back at him, also smiling, except for Yamato who was wearing his expressionless face.

"Hey, Naruto! What's it going to be today? Oh don't answer, I bet it's the Great Special Ichiraku Ramen!"- Teuchi greeted him, Naruto laughed.

"You know me better than any other person, Teuchi-san."- he responded before sitting down on his own bench.

"Before anything, Naruto, how did you use the Dokugiri? I thought you couldn't use any jutsu beside the Hiraishin or the Rasengan..."- Yugao asked him. He laughed.

"I can't use any jutsu besides those two, and those two shouldn't even be considered jutsu at all. I merely kept a poison pill under my tongue that I bit and spat. I yelled the technique's name to scare the guy. Apparently, I was successful."- Naruto answered. Yamato facepalmed while Anko and Kakashi laughed.

"That's so Naruto."

Most of the dinner went pretty smoothly, telling jokes, stories and whatnot. Naruto was definitely happy. He was going to leave that night, and a bit of relaxed time with the people he had spent the last three years with was just the thing he needed.

With that time, the five had grown fond of each other, and their personalities had all clicked in with one another's, as if they were one big puzzle and no pieces were missing.

They had gone on assassinations, murder stagings, robberies, search and destroy missions, but even after all of those dark memories, they cherished each other like brethren. Tsunade was right, they were now his brothers and sisters. All different in some way, but all the same too.

Eventually, 11 pm arrived, and Naruto had to go take his bags and leave, so they all decided to give him their farewell present and a little speech.

Yamato stepped forward first and gave him a small bonsai tree.

"You can put it inside a seal and take it out when it needs care until you get a home. The care you have to give it each day will have you spend hours on it, and therefore, remember Konoha. I hope you come back some day, and let me say it's been a pleasure working with you."- Yamato spoke with a big smile on his face, something really rare. He was formal, but it was visible that he had meant what he said. Naruto thanked him warmly and sealed the bonsai tree on a tag, neatly folding it and putting it in his pocket.

Next came Yugao. She and Naruto were rarely together, but when they were, it was like they just clicked together. In a big sister/little brother relationship, and she had always been there for him. She handed the jinchuuriki a white rabbit paw necklace.

"Unlike the ones in those questionable token shops, this one's real. As you know, my summons are rabbits, and the Great Wise Rabbit gave this to me. He told me not to keep it for myself, and not to give it to someone close, but to hand it to someone who really needs all the luck and help in the world."- she told him, watching him put it on.- "I guess that one is you, little brother, good luck in your endeavors."

Naruto thanked her with a kiss on each cheek (no it's not awkward, it's a tradition in my country) and backed off to see Inu, aka Kakashi approach him with a small white blanket rolled around something that seemed to be moving around.

"This little pup, and note that I didn't say puppy, I said pup, has no one that can raise him, or at least, safely. But you are the kid that kept surprising me through all of these years, and am pretty sure you'll be able to deal with it."- he unrolled the blanket to reveal a black-furred little pup that could have been seen as a dog for any normal civilian, but the teeth, eyes, expression and overall attributes gave away that it was indeed a wolf, and not something to mess with.- "My ninken found it when out on a fox hunt. I should also state that they were pretty scared of it. I can tell you that that pup will be a killing machine, and if you treat it well, the most loyal ally you could ever have. Also, it's nameless."

"Thanks a lot Kakashi, I'll take care of it as well as possible. I think I'll call it Raze."- Naruto replied with a smile on his face. Kakashi nodded with an eye-smile. _That you will, Naruto, I'm proud of you._

Last, but not least, Anko approached him.

Naruto let his mind wonder over what she would give him. She was Anko, not exactly predictable. She could give him something as formal as a golden watch or something as crazy as a french-kiss session.

What she did give him was something maybe in the middle. She opened her mouth to let a very small white snake get out, crawl down and serpentate through her arm to Naruto's as they shook hands, going into his sleeves and rolling around his arm, keeping its head out.

"That is Sasha, she's the twin snake of my own, Vasha."- Anko rose her right hand to let an identical snake show its head.- "They share a really unique bond, and will tell you in a very specific way if the other's owner is harmed or something else. They will grow with time to become full fledged adults that will roll around your arm like chains and kill with single bites. They become powerful allies. Also, they can perform a very powerful jutsu that requires nothing but a flow of chakra, touching the enemy and themselves to use. Like the Rasengan, you should have no trouble with it."

Naruto was short of words, all of the gifts had been amazing and they all seemed to care about him. He hugged Anko and all of the others before saying his goodbye, telling them to show up at his apartment the next day to get their own gifts. The door would be open.

After that, he headed to his own apartment, which he hadn't used in years, to set up things and get anything he could possibly need. That meant any weapons he might have left behind, supplies, since he had hired someone to keep his apartment stocked and clean in case he wanted to come back, and clothes. Only then did he remember his clothes didn't fit him anymore, so he just took the first too and left the gifts, plus a note on top of a table right in front of the door.

He was about to leave when four shadows appeared behind him. He turned around to see who it was before smirking.

"I'm glad to see you're here too, Tenten, Shino, Hinata and Haku. How did you know I was leaving?"- Naruto greeted with a question.

"The scar burned. Remember how we're all bonded by that?"- Shino replied. Naruto chuckled, he had forgot that particular part.

"We're not going to stop you, Naruto-kun."- Hinata spoke.

"You've got your reasons, you're going to rebuild your clan and your village, and quite frankly..."- Tenten followed.

"...the people don't deserve you here. We've all been told how you were treated. You can go in peace, Naruto-kun."- Haku finished. He smiled.

"If you guys want, you can come with me. My village will be a place of peace, where no one is put aside and mocked, not a bug user, not a kunoichi with weapons, not a missing-nin from Kirigakure with a Bloodline Limit and not a Clan's Heiress who didn't seem to live up to the expectations in the beginning."- at his proposal, all gave it a nice moment of thought. It seemed heaven-like. All had faced their own sad stories.- "No one. Kunoichi will be hailed like male shinobi, Bloodline Limited people will be hailed for their unique abilities, shinobi who use out-of-the-ordinary techniques will be hailed as creative and original and everyone will be pushed the right away to achieve their potential, not by telling them they're lost cases.

Shino had faced discrimination by nearly every child in the village except Naruto when he was young. It was not a popular thing to be a living hive of insects. But to Naruto, he was just like everyone else, and the insects were even kind of cool to him.

Tenten had been mocked for being a petty ninja when it came to jutsu and normal taijutsu. Even after revealing herself as a prodigy with Weapons, their handling and throwing them, she was still made fun of by most people, and not considered a real shinobi. Something that bothered her more than that, was that most discriminated her just because she was a kunoichi. If a male used the same fighting style as her, she betted he'd be thought of as a hero. But Naruto always liked her and even went so far as to ask advice from her in sword and weapon wielding. He respected her as a ninja.

Haku lowered her head. She had been treated like nothing but crap for a long time in her life, hell her own father and neighbors had tried to kill her for something she could not control. But Naruto knew exactly that was like and always treated her like a person. Zabuza said she was his Weapon, but she knew that deep inside, he liked her as his own daughter. Those two were the only things in life for her, and she would follow them to Hell if she had to.

Hinata felt the suffering that it was being hated by your own parent, the ones who are supposed to love you unconditionally, and just because she didn't like violence. After years of brainwashing into thinking she would be a failure forever, she met Naruto. Against the odds, he had beat Sasuke, Kiba, Neji, Gaara, Kimimaro and Sasuke again. He was the one responsible for her self-esteem, and she loved him for it, even if it was just as a sibling.

"Why do you want us there?"- Shino asked, always cunning. Naruto smiled.

"A village isn't a village if it is only inhabited by one person. I need more people, and all of you have special traits that I could really use for several top-ranked spots in my village."- he sincerely answered.- "For example, I'd put you as a head of the tracker and infiltrating team, Haku'd be the head of my own ANBU system, Tenten will have all the resources she needs to become the village's blacksmith and invent her own weapons. She'll also be the Weapons Mistress. Of course, each of you will have people to aid you with your tasks."

"You know, I wanted to say no, but something in me tells me to go. No one but Hinata, Kiba and my family accept me. I might as well just go with you, who's believed in me all along."- Shino was the first one to decide.- "But can I first talk to my family?"

Naruto was about to answer when something absolutely unexpected happened. Tenten was on him, kissing him like a desperate fangirl. Naruto thought he had heard an indignated gasp, but shrugged it off as the girl came to her senses and got off of him, blushing.

"I'm going with you! You've just given me everything I've ever wanted!"- she exclaimed. Naruto didn't really have an answer for her before Haku started talking too.

"I'll follow you to the depths of Hell if needed, Naruto-kun. But may I go and get Zabuza-san before we head off?"

"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry, but even though I'm only as powerful as I am today because of you, I can not leave this village, my home, for you. And if you are leaving it to never come back, I'm sorry, but I must kill you."- Hinata declared, getting into a Jyuuken stance. Naruto bowed his head until his eyes were covered in darkness.

"If you oppose me, you oppose Uzushiogakure. Do you, therefore, consider yourself an Uzushiogakure enemy?"- was his reply. She thought about it for a moment before nodding. Naruto nodded back before disappearing and appearing in front of her, giving her a palm strike to the gut as swiftly as possible.- "Snake Paralyzing Palm!"

A small white snake crawled out from beneath his sleeve and bit Hinata, immediately paralyzing the girl as she fell to the floor before going back into the shirt.

"Let this be an example that I will face down any enemy that Uzushiogakure might have. She'll be able to move in about five hours. Everyone, go announce this to your families. Meet me by the Land of Wave's Great Naruto Bridge tomorrow at mid-day."- with that, they dispersed, leaving Naruto to hide Hinata's still frame.

An hour later, he was walking out of Konoha, easily slipping past the two guard Chuunin who had fallen asleep.

He managed to walk for five minutes before noticing something weird. There was someone tailing him.

"So I guess you're the one that scowled in indignation when Tenten kissed me, huh Anko? Come out, Sasha tells me it's you."- Naruto greeted her. She chuckled and jumped down from a tree to meet him. She always did like how it was harder to get the drop on the kid than on anyone else.- "What are you doing here? You know Hokage-sama has allowed me to leave."

"I'm not here to stop you. I'm here to join you."- she replied. He blinked.

"Fuck no. Stay here, there's no more seal, no more reasons to leave. Plus, I'm already taking four people with me."

"And you're seriously telling me they are enough to build a village? You need me too, I can make a fucking good Interrogator, Torturer or Cell Keeper. And even if I don't, I make a good fucking!"- she argued.- "Besides, they don't care if I don't have the seal anymore. Once a snake slut always a snake slut for them. I just want to get away from here, and if it is by following the guy I've sworn myself and my body to, then that's a big bonus!"

"No."

"Why? Do you have another girl? That Tenten? I don't mind sharing if she doesn't! I like boobs too! Come on, please!"- she asked with lost puppy eyes and Naruto didn't even bother.

"Whatever, follow me then. But this way you don't get your present since I told you to pick it up tomorrow. Do you want Sasha back?"

"No, I stopped by your apartment. As expected, my gift was already there. And thanks, I'll really like it!"- she answered, taking off the black cloak and revealing the black hoodie with a serpent that seemed like it was tied around a white crow on the back and on the front.

Then, they took off.

(And there you go. I'm sorry I haven't published in so long, but I've been kept busy with school and "Naruto the Black Lightning" fic. As always, Favorite/Follow and Review to make me write as fast as good old dumbass Tobi on sugar. In case you're having any doubts, yes I want to make it a Naruto/Anko pairing, but I'm going to add another girl, though I'm not sure why. If you want to see a specific one, please pm me or Review about it! See ya!)


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